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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29556297">Among Us - The Test Subjects</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KlaashD/pseuds/KlaashD'>KlaashD</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Among Us (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Female Protagonist, Gaming, Gen, Male Protagonist, Murder Mystery, Paranormal, Psychological Horror, Revenge, Science Fiction, Suspense</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:00:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>62,095</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29556297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KlaashD/pseuds/KlaashD</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When eight people volunteer for a scientific experiment in space, everything seems well, and nothing happened out of the ordinary until three weeks later. One at a time, the Crewmate gets picked off by an unknown culprit that they deduced as being one of them. Friends turn into enemies as suspicious arise. The once peaceful voyage turns into a mystery and struggle to unveil the culprit so that the volunteering crewmates can survive another day.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Episode 1, Act 1 (A Peaceful Voyage)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Among Us - The Test Subjects - Episode 1, Act 1 (A Peaceful Voyage)</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>In a location only known as the Skeld, two people conversed.</p><p>"Hey Randall, how's it goin'?" said the person wearing an all-blue suit. The outfit itself was somewhat baggy, and it appeared unisex. The speaker wore a visor that completely concealed their face. Their voice sounded somewhat robotic.</p><p>"Hey," replied another individual that had a similar outfit, except that it was red. The voices mirrored each other.</p><p>"I know that we are best friends, bud," stated Red, "But we gotta stick with code names. They probably have some way of recording us, and we may not get paid if we mess up in any way. Let's follow the rules of the project to be safe."</p><p>The person that was wearing the blue suit sighed and replied,</p><p>"Fine, Red it is."</p><p>The one that was formerly called Randall nodded in approval.</p><p>"Much better."</p><p>Red was seated at a console that was inside of the Navigation Room. From the others' perspective, it would appear that the seated one was playing some type of game. Red was stabilizing the steering of the station. Blue knew that their friend was just completing another task to finish the project and return home.</p><p>"Hey Red," stated Blue, "Thanks for sticking with me. I doubt that I would have even committed to the project if it weren't for your encouragement in the outside world."</p><p>Red nodded, "Don't sweat it, dude. We are best pals. They say that after we complete all of our assignments, then they will let us leave this space station, reward us, then we can use that money to pay for your sister's operation. All will be well."</p><p>Blue looked down, somewhat dismayed. Red could tell that his friend was troubled, even if he wasn't looking at him. The busy one decided to halt his assignment as he stood up from his seat. Because of the costumes' shape, it was impossible to tell what gender the person underneath was. Since the two were aware that they were both males, anonymity did not matter too much.</p><p>Red placed a hand on his friend's should for comfort.</p><p>"Blue, everything is going to be okay. We will successfully finish all that they throw at us and come out of this as champs. Also, you're my best, bro, and we are lucky that God got us selected for this project and put us together. What are the odds of that? And all we are doing is maintenance-type work. It's easy money."</p><p>Blue let loose a sigh. They remained silent for a while until the uncertain one pipped,</p><p>"Alright, fine. Maybe I'm just letting things get to me too much, but still. I don't know, man. We had to sign all of those wavers and s***. They did mention the possibility of space travel being dangerous."</p><p>Red patted his friend on the back and muttered, "Let's go for a walk. That will help destress you."</p><p>***</p><p>Ten minutes later, Red has stated with a wave,</p><p>"Hello, Purple, Pink, and Black."</p><p>He and Blue were walking through the Cafeteria from Navigation. Currently, there were five of them together out of eight. The duo greeted the trio that sat together at one of the desks. Every single one of them was a part of an anonymous scientific experiment. The trials tested a civilian's transition from regular life on earth to living in a space station. The Crewmates were also experimented on how well they worked together. They were not allowed to leave unless a disaster happened or they completed all of their tasks.</p><p>The crew was away from their families. The scientists promised to pay every single one of them one hundred thousand dollars after completion. The volunteers had to undergo a lot of training and testing to become eligible for deployment.</p><p>After the duo's exchange with the seated Crewmates, they headed for the Upper Engine Room, across from the Cafeteria. Just before they could leave the area, the door hastily slid closed, shutting them out.</p><p>"Huh?" muttered Red. He approached the closed door and inspected it, confused. This never happened in the past. Blue stopped in his tracks as all he could do was stare forward and state,</p><p>"D...Did it malfunction?"</p><p>"I don't know," replied Red. Blue approached the blocked-off hall, curious.</p><p>"Is there a problem, you two?" exclaimed Black from afar. The questioner's voice was no different than the rest of them. Robotic and unisex. Blue turned to Black. The investigator had their arms crossed. Blue would guess that underneath that visor, Black probably was looking at them suspiciously for some reason. With hesitation in his voice, Blue has stated,</p><p>"Y...Yeah. The door slammed shut on us, and it's jammed or something. We may be stuck here, and we probably should..."</p><p>At that moment, the door slid open. The two just gazed at the space where the seemingly malfunctioned door was. There was the hallway in front of the two, again. The duo stared at each other, shrugged, and kept going. Red and Blue both figured that a circuit must have busted somewhere or something.</p><p>***</p><p>On the way over to their destination, the pair passed Cyan and White. They were inspecting the equipment in the Medbay. Red and Blue did not want to disturb or distract them from their work. The two had finally arrived in the Upper Engine Room. Just like before, the pair stood in place, silent, with nothing to say. Red decided that it was best to allow his best friend, Blue, to speak first since he seemed to have a lot on his mind. The atmosphere was tense, and the air was heavy, even underneath the suits. Blue sighed, yet again, as he spoke,</p><p>"Maybe you're right. I'm probably just overthinking things, but I still wish that there was another way that we could have raised funds, ya know?"</p><p>All Red could do was nod. He did not know how to respond since they were already out here, on the space station called the Skeld. The two were far away from home, and until their tasks were completed, a drop-ship wasn't going to pick them up. Food and water weren't a problem since they all were provided with weeks' worth of nourishment, although they should not be here for nearly that long.</p><p>"Look," stated Red, "Not to sound like a broken record, but there is no going back. Let's just finish our tasks and get out of here. We already came this far, so there is no point stressing over it anymore."</p><p>It was all Red could say. There was nothing else. Blue looked at Red, nodded, then deciding not to waste any more time; the duo went their separate ways.</p><p>***</p><p>Fifteen minutes later, Red was at Navigation again. He felt that there was no point in slacking off, so after his conversation with Blue, he zipped through the Cafeteria, passed Weapons, and returned to where he started. He stared fixedly at the laptop. This time he was waiting for a bunch of files to upload. Due to being out here in space, the internet connection was delayed. Red gazed up at the clock. For a moment, he felt as though someone was watching him. The impatient one turned around, but nobody was there.</p><p>
  <em>Must have been my imagination, he thought to himself. </em>
</p><p>Red looked at the clock again and noticed that it was five in the evening, and very soon, the crew was going to turn in and return to their bunkers in an hour to call it a night. Although everyone got along so well, the situation has not been easy for them. The assignments weren't too difficult, but being this far away from family, friends, and society, in general, had been weighing on their stress levels, some more than others. Though the crew was strangers, for the most part, they had themselves as support. Red was amazed at how well they all had gotten along and cooperated in such a short amount of time. Only a couple weeks had passed ever since the project commenced. Regardless of how optimistic things appeared, Red missed his home and his bed to sleep in. The suited one placed his head against the wall while gazing at the laptop. He muttered,</p><p>"Come on..."</p><p>The laptop screen gave him an allotted time of four days, then a couple hours, and an hour.</p><p>"Hurry up already!"</p><p>Then just like that, the lights in the facility turned off. It happened so suddenly and without any warning. Red's heart started to beat rapidly. It was pitch black in here aside from the radiance from the computer console. Underneath the suit, the man breathed hard as he thought he heard footsteps. Even though this should be a comforting thing, it only created unease for him for some reason. Red knew that he had to be the strong one for his friend.</p><p>
  <em>I have to get it together. It's nothing serious as these types of things happen all the time. All I gotta do is go to Electrical and flip the switches. That's all. Besides, I know the layout of the place so well since I walk around a lot.</em>
</p><p>Red stepped away from the laptop, deciding that the upload would have to wait, and headed for his destination. The volunteer could have sworn that someone walked past him as he said,</p><p>"Is anyone there?"</p><p>No response. Red shrugged, thinking nothing of it, and kept marching. Before he arrived where he needed to be, the lights turned back on. It nearly blinded the man, but his eyes adjusted a few seconds later.</p><p>O...kay, I guess that's that, he thought.</p><p>
  <em>I wonder what happened.</em>
</p><p>The man shrugged and observed his surroundings. Based on the facility's structures, he must have passed Shields and Comms and was currently in Storage. Red turned around and began to backtrack towards Navigation again. He sincerely hoped that nothing else distracted or halted his progress. First, it was his best friend's insecurities, and now, the lights. Not that he minded giving Blue a pep talk.</p><p>
  <em>Someone else probably fixed it. </em>
</p><p>Just before Red entered Shields, to his right, in Communications, something caught his eye, but he wasn't sure what at first until he got closer. Immediately, fear surged through his body as he yelled,</p><p>"Oh, my God!"</p><p>In front of him was what appeared to be a lower torso with a bone sticking out. The color of the suit of the torso was Blue.</p><p>
  <em>This couldn't be real, </em>
</p><p>thought Red,</p><p>
  <em> This has to be a dream. There is no way that this could be happening. This isn't real. This has to be a dream. There is no way that this could be happening.</em>
</p><p>His thoughts kept spiraling in a circle over and over again. It never ended until he accepted the scene in front of him as real.</p><p> </p><p>                                                                            </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Episode 1, Act 2 (Discuss)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Noise filled the area. That was the best way that Red could decipher it. Just discord and more of it. The chatter bustled in the Cafeteria. At this point, everyone was aware of what happened to Blue. Red knew that there was no denying the incident since he was the one that called the meeting and showed everyone the scene. One out of eight was deceased, and Red wasn't sure how it came to this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <em>
    <span>There is more to it, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Thought Red</span>
  <em>
    <span>. I can't ignore the ugly truth that it had to be one of them. The only mystery is who</span>
  </em>
  <span>?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red eyed the rest of his </span>
  <em>
    <span>crewmates</span>
  </em>
  <span>, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>companions</span>
  </em>
  <span>, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>trusted ones</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The bitter man rolled his eyes. He was disgusted. It seemed like none of them had a clue about what was going on. This did not fool the furious one. He knew better than to fall for any acts and lies. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>My best friend was murdered, and one of them must be feigning ignorance.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For all he knew, all of them could have been in on it. The group might have planned the crime behind his back. After reflecting even further, that notion made little to no sense to Red. Nobody seemed to know each other before the project. Also, there was no benefit in committing murder. That would end the expedition, and nobody would get paid in the end. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And yet</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Red thought as he looked down in sorrow. He visualized the conversations that he had with Blue just moments ago. They were so happy together back then. By chance, the duo was selected to participate in this experiment to raise enough money to pay for Blue's sister's operation. She had a tumor in her brain, and it was a life or death procedure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And now that Blue is gone, his sister will...</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red punched the desk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No, I must not get on that train of thought. Right now, I need to focus on the now. Blue is dead, and one of these bastards did it! I have to avenge my best friend!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red diverted his attention back upwards at the panicked crew. For the most part, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The others reacted just like anyone else would after discovering a dead body. There was one person that stood out to Red.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Black," he muttered under his breathe. Black was the only one that did not partake in the conversations. Instead, they starred at the rest of them, back and forth, in silence. Red could not tell what Black was trying to achieve, nor could he read Black's facial expressions underneath their suit. Eventually, their gazes met. Black looked directly at Red. They remained like that for a moment, glued together. Somehow, Red was able to tune out the noise and chatter around him as he starred back. It almost felt as though they were the only two in the Cafeteria as imaginary spotlights shone on the two. Red was not sure how to take this, but one thing was certain. Something seemed very off about this one. Regardless, the crew was getting nowhere fast. Red balled his fists again as he yelled,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Alright! Who did it?!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite the voice-altering costume causing him to sound just like everyone else, Red's malice was felt by everyone else as the chattering stopped for the first time. All eyes were focused on him as some twitched anxiously while others did not dare to interrupt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Who was the son of a b**** that killed my best friend?!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red pointed at the rest of them. The crew was all seated in front of a sizeable circled table. Red's finger trembled as he remained in position. The only one that did not seem to be affected was the one that he starred down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know that one of you bastards did it! You...chopped...my friend...in half! How dare you," he muttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Your friend?" replied Pink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Blue was...your friend? I mean in the outside world?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red nodded as he explained how both of them knew each other, volunteered together and gave each other a sign to identify one another if selected. The area remained quiet as everyone listened. Considering the circumstances, the Crewmates knew that there was no other choice but to continue. Once Red was finished, Cyan was the first to speak as they stated,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I...I'm sorry about your loss, sir, and I promise that once this is over, I will help pay for your sister's operation."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red would give a half-smile at that gesture in normal circumstances, but all he could do was say thanks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The slight feeling of relief was ended as Pink has stated shyly,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"R...Red. I...I do apologize for your loss as well, but could it...err..."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a moment, Pink has stated while twiddling their fingers, "C...could it really have been one of us?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, after finishing, Pink looked down meekly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why would anyone kill anyone else here? We are all volunteers. And besides, maybe it was just an accident."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This enraged Red yet again. He attempted to keep his composure, but the bitter one could not see it any other way than cold-blooded murder. Underneath the suit, Red gritted his teeth as he repeated as calmly as possible,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"My...best friend...was cut in half. How the hell does that happened accidentally?!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Eeeep!" S</span>
  <span>creeched Pink as they pleaded,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm sorry, Red! I'm sorry for doubting you!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey," stated White, "Not to play devil's advocate, but Pink does have a point."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red narrowed his eyes, "What did you say?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>White seemed to be far more unyielding as all eyes were on them. The speaker retained composure as they stood up, paced back and forth, and said with a shrug,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What? I'm just saying that it could have been an accident. And please, don't let your emotions get the best of you. Try to think about this logically for a second."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>White shook their head in shame and sighed,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Lately, I have been experiencing issues with the doors. They keep closing up on me," White gestured their hand towards another crewmate,  "and Cyan here."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cyan nodded and muttered, "T...That's true."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, now isn't that convenient?" scoffed Red as he crossed his arms and shifted his eyes back and forth at the duo. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With assertion, White has stated,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Look. We have no reason to lie about something like that. The doors closed on us, and we got separated earlier. We figured that it wasn't that big of a deal, and maybe the motion sensors were busted or something. I guess I will look into that later."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reluctance filled White's voice as even they did not believe what they were about to say,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"A...a door may have closed on your friend and cut him in half, somehow."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red reflected on this. It certainly seemed plausible despite the lack of confidence in that testimony. Although they were all strangers, the formerly furious one began to feel bad for accusing these people of murder. Their statements possessed a weight of truth, and there was no hint of deception as of yet. Red stood up from his seat and paced back and forth while White sat back down. All eyes remained on him as he went full circle. With a sigh and a hint of sorrow, Red has stated,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No. As easy as it is to write this off as an accident, I simply cannot do that. It had to be a homicide. There is no other way, and I will explain why."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked at the group again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"There isn't a door in Comms. Anyone could just walk in and out of there with no issues. Even if a door closed in on Blue and chopped him in half in another location, Blue would have had to crawl to Communications. There wasn't a path of blood anywhere on the station. Blue had to have walked to the site, then died."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I see where you are getting at here, and not to be rude, but can you be concise and just get to the point as quickly as possible? We really don't have all day, and I would like to at least complete a task or two before it is lights out," requested Brown. The new speaker had their arms crossed while laying back in the chair. Their feet were resting on the table. Some of the others were disgusted and found this unsanitary since this was the Cafeteria. They were aware that now was not the time or place to complain. Brown removed their feet and leaned forward in their char while starring directly at Red.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So you're saying that there is no other way that this could be anything else besides a killing?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their tone was that of someone that did not like to waste time. It caught Red off guard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And why would we? What do we have to gain? Before the experiment, as Pink stated, we didn't know each other, and even now, we still don't, not with these suits permanently on while we are out here. We can only take them off when we are in our bunkers, and we can't leave our rooms unless we put them back on. Our room doors remain locked otherwise."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red did not like or appreciate these mannerisms one bit. It almost seemed like he was being challenged. Brown continued with a hint of inconvenience and annoyance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We don't even know what gender he was, as well as whether he really was your best friend."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well," stated Red, "W...We had a code word."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His conviction was starting to wane. Now that he thought about it, something did seem off about Blue, and it was before today, as he reflected.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A couple weeks ago, Red stood behind Blue. Blue was in the airlock discarding leaves through the ventilation system. This was Red's last person. All he had to do was say the code word. If Blue did not respond appropriately, it would confirm to Red that he was utterly alone and his best friend was not selected.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ehmm," stated Red. Blue turned to Red and paused the task that they were working on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Can I help you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red observed the person in front of him. They appeared a little jittery. It was no surprise. Everyone was on edge due to being away in outer space alone like this with strangers. Red knew that he had to do it as he committed,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Eggs," was all Red said. Blue was silent for a moment. Just before Red was about to say </span>
  <em>
    <span>forget it</span>
  </em>
  <span> and walk off, Blue replied,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And more eggs!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red's eyes light up. It was the secret code that he and his best friend always used. Red was aware that anyone else would have said, </span>
  <em>
    <span>And bacon</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The man knew that it was an absurd way to identify another person, but he and his best friend used that response ever since they were kids. It possessed a sense of nostalgia between the two.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey! Rob! We made it! It's me! Randall!" Red held out his arms then quickly hugged Blue. At first, it seemed like Blue was hesitant as they responded similarly, "Uh, yeah! We made it! Um, friend!" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Just a friend?!" replied Red, "We are besties! Not only were we selected, but we will finally make enough money to pay for your sister's operation!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Uh yeah," replied Blue, "We did it! We are in this together, bud! My sister is going to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> fine!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They hugged each other and celebrated for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the present, Red's eyes widened. He was thoroughly shocked by this, and the others felt it. Even if it was wishful thinking, it still took a toll on the distraught one. He remained motionless as he stared into space. He didn't know what was going on anymore as everything was being processed. What didn't help was that moments ago, he was furious about the death. Some moved their seat away from Red while the remaining ones were silent and knew better not to interject right away. Brown tilted their head as they observed the troubled one. Brown's mannerisms did not change one bit, and they did not show any type of sympathy,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Is it </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> that shocking?" they said, "The government would not select two people from the same hometown."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah," added White, "The odds of that are close to," White shook their head, "No, the odds of that are zero."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red began to scream, causing Cyan and Pink to flinch. Once it subsided, Brown has stated, "Whatever code name or whatever you came up with, anyone could have guessed it. Due to wearing these suits, it wouldn't be difficult to pretend to be your best friend. I mean, look at the situation that we're in. We are stressed out on various levels. Having a pretend friend could ease the tension. Blue saw an opportunity, capitalized, and deceived you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red looked down. He had no choice but to accept the situation for what it was, but it did not change anything. Regardless, he still was convinced that someone was murdered, even if it really wasn't his best friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"The pressure was getting to Blue too much anyhow," stated Brown with a head shake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You made your point. We need to continue. I don't know what it is, but I feel that we should not end this meeting until all of this is resolved," replied Red.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I agree," stated White, "To put this issue to rest, we probably should talk about our alibis during the blackout."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red's eyes widened, "A...Alibis?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>White looked directly at him and nodded. Again, the lights dimmed, but it wasn't to the point of being pitch black. The crew was able to see each other from across the table, but that was about it. Pink stood up,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I think I shall head back over to Electrical and..."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, no, no," muttered White. Their tone was flat and grave. "You probably should stay put, ma'am, assuming that you're a woman, of course. It's not a life or death situation, and that can wait until later."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah," chuckled Brown, "No use running away, you chicken s***."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pink gasped in alarm at the last response. Nobody expected that from Brown, but none of them corrected the insulting Crewmate's behavior. Feeling anxious and without any objections, all Pink could do was comply. The area was tense as everyone looked at one another.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I...I supposed you're right," stuttered Red as he reflected, "I guess there is no other way then. Let's get started."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I was in Navigation. At first, I..."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Red could finish, Brown cut him off. "Shhhhhhh." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brown held their finger towards their mouth. The mannerisms were similar to a senior addressing a junior. From Red's perspective, this was extremely disrespectful and condescending and was worthy of a punch. Red guessed that underneath that suit, Brown was smirking. Wanting this to be facilitated, the irritated one decided to remain silent. He would just have to take a mental note to address the attitude later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Let's start with them first," Brown motioned at White and Cyan, "We will get to you, Red, but towards the very end. One of us killed your fake best friend, eh? Let's go with that for now."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brown crossed their arms and looked at White, "Where were you around the time of the blackout?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without hesitation, White has stated, "I was with Cyan for the whole day. We were in the MedBay trying to fix the inspection pod."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cyan nodded, "During the blackout, we remained stationary." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cyan looked down in shame, "It was pitch black when the lights went out. I was too scared to move. White said that he, er...</span>
  <em>
    <span>they</span>
  </em>
  <span> would check out the switches in Electrical. I told White that I didn't want to be left alone, so they opted into staying with me so that I wouldn't panic too much."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>White scoffed and looked away, "I figured that someone else would fix the problem."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Awwwww," stated Brown, "Now isn't...that...romantic? During that time, the two remained in the Medbay, consoling each other."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brown's voice was full of ridicule.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey!" yelled White, "You're getting the wrong idea!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a brief pause until Brown has stated, "Moving on."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Attention was focused on Pink as Brown asked, "Where were you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pink still seemed shy and nervous as they stated, </span>
  <span>"I went to the Weapons Bay to do some tasks." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Pink could finish, they looked at Brown and stated, "H...Hey...a...aren't you being a little...t....too...hard on Red?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pink motioned to Red. Brown stated with a chuckle, "Hard? If Red wants to pin this on us, then he has no choice but to feel the weight of his actions."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brown snapped their fingers, "Chop chop. What happened, Pink?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pink appeared hesitant as they looked at Red. Pink shook their head and sighed, "I'm sorry, but I have to give a testimony." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red nodded, "It's okay. Please continue. I need to hear this."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pink looked at the rest of them while feeling more resolved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay. After the tasks, I returned to the Cafeteria. Inside was Black and Purple. The lights turned off, and we went south towards Electrical together. Black then flipped the switches, and that was it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brown clasped their hands together and stated, "So that's five people out of seven. And what do they have in common? Someone? Anyone?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room got silent until Purple pipped with a shrug, </span>
  <span>"The same type of suits?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Alibis!" yelled Brown. The outburst caused some of them to tremble.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"They have solid alibis!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red gritted his teeth, </span>
  <span>"That doesn't mean a damn thing!" he pointed at Brown, "This means that YOU did it! Where the hell have you been all day?!" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brown focused on Red and simply stated, </span>
  <span>"In my bunker this entire time."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What?!" stammered Red, "We are working our assesses off here, and you're just chillin' in your bunker?!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, if you really want to know, I was on the toilet all day, taking a s***."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This caused some of the others to groan or look away in disdain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Disgusting," muttered Cyan as they shook their head in shame. Brown shrugged their shoulders, "What?! But it couldn't be helped! This food that they give us doesn't sit too well with me. The only time that I came out was during the emergency meeting. I didn't have a choice."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red did not appear convinced. "There is no proof that you were in there all day. You could have come out of your room, killed Blue, and returned to your room as if nothing happened!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Brown is telling the truth," said one of them. The others focused their attention on the new speaker. It was Black for the first time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I was in the Cafeteria until the blackout happened, and their bunker remained closed up to that point. I observed everything around me. After I turned on the lights, I went back to the Cafeteria, then the meeting was called. If Brown somehow snuck out during the blackout, they would have passed at least one of us, or we would have seen then when the lights were on."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thank you, Black. My bestest friend in the whole wide world," said Brown. Black retorted with a hint of indifference,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm not defending you. All I'm saying is that based on the evidence, it was unlikely that you were the culprit."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I see," Brown focused their attention on Red as they stated,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And none of you had seen Red along the way?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was an uneasy silence as they shook their heads. Black continued to watch from the sidelines. Red was beginning to feel anxious and utterly alone, as all eyes were on him. Red knew more than anyone that he didn't have a solid alibi. Based on the testimonies, they all knew that Red was the only one who could have killed Blue despite reporting the body. Red was not sure what these people were willing to do as they starred him down in silence. Sweat poured down his brow underneath the suit. The clock was chipping away, and it was all he could hear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I...I...I...I," he stammer. "I...I...I...I...I...I..."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Red is innocent," stated Black. The focus was shifted away from Red to Black. So far, it appeared as if nobody was questioning the black-suited individual. Red was quivering now as he hoped that the silent one could come up with a good excuse as to why he couldn't have done it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay," stated Brown, "Please explain, buddy."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Black wasn't the one to respond. Instead, White has responded, "Does Black really have to? None of us could have possibly committed murder because we weren't permitted to bring any personal belongings. Sheesh, this could have been said from the very beginning, but you just wanted to antagonize Red."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>White shook their head and continued to speak, "Besides, the scientists have inspected every nook and cranny of this facility. There is no way that they would have overlooked some type of blade."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And besides," stated Cyan, "This experiment is over. An incident occurred, and we have to follow back with HQ. Let's end this meeting and accept that this project was a failure."</span>
</p>
<p><br/>                                                        </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Episode 1, Act 3 (Post Discussion Confusion)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ten minutes had passed ever since their awkward meeting. With unease, Red walked with his Crewmates towards the Communications Room, where Blue died. They all agreed that it wouldn't be right to leave the body where it was located, especially while waiting for a ship from the main headquarters to pick them up. Despite coming to a resolution, a few of the Crewmates maintained their distance from Red. Some gave the accuser awkward stares while others averted their gaze away and talked amongst themselves. Red was aware that if the meeting kept going the way it did, he would have only been self-incriminating. </p>
<p>
  <em> If it wasn't for Black, the others might have... </em>
</p>
<p>Red glanced over his defender, wondering why that person decided to intervene. Red remembered that Black did seem awfully suspicious. They did not join in on the meeting until the very end, and Black also questioned Red and Blue in the Cafeteria before the door slammed in on the two.</p>
<p><em> Even so </em> , thought Red, <em> Based on where everyone was located at the time, if Blue really was murdered, It couldn't have been Black. I was the only one with the opportunity to commit the crime if I had a weapon. </em></p>
<p>Red looked at the others. He was conscious that they must have known. Otherwise, they wouldn't stay this far away from him. Pink and Black were the only ones close by. In their own way, the two appeared to be accepting of Red and his circumstances. Once the group arrived at Comms, the scene in front of them caused the remaining seven to stop.</p>
<p>"W...Where is the body?" muttered White. The others were shocked except for Black. This was the site where Blue was murdered, and the memory was still fresh within Red. His eyes twitched as his mouth dropped ajar. Not only was there no blood, but the corpse was also absent. Everyone was dead set on moving Blue's body to an obscure location after the meeting was adjourned. Now, they found themselves in another predicament.</p>
<p>"Okay," yelled Brown, "What the hell is going on here?!"</p>
<p>"I...I don't know," stated Purple.</p>
<p>Instinctively, Red looked over at Black. Black remained stoic, emotionless, as they gazed down at where Blue's body was. From Red's perspective, it almost seemed like Black was looking and analyzing the crime scene like a detective despite the corpse not being present.</p>
<p>"I knew it," Black muttered silently. It was too quiet for most of them to hear. However, it did not slip past Red. Pink hovered behind Red in fear.</p>
<p>"Seriously," stated Brown as they turned to the rest of them, "What...THE HELL...is going on here?! There was a dead body in this location, correct?! My eyes weren't playing tricks on me, were they?!"</p>
<p>"Yes!" exclaimed White as they pointed at the same position that Blue was found, "We saw it ourselves!"</p>
<p>Brown balled their fists and seethed for a few seconds. The enraged one turned around and stormed directly at Red. Red was caught aback by this as he trembled. Brown's footsteps were heavy as Pink and the others backed away from the two. Once Brown got close enough, they yanked Red's suit, clenched their fists even tighter, and pulled Red close, face to face.</p>
<p>"Based on your <em> performance </em> in the discussion, I thought you were a dumb f*** at first. But, I gotta give ya credit, kid. That was an elaborate prank ya pulled."</p>
<p>"What?!" asked Red. This only confused him.</p>
<p>"What?" Brown replied mockingly, </p>
<p>"You know what I'm talking about, you little punk! Blue isn't really dead, and you placed a replica of the lower body to throw us off! Then at some point, Blue must have waited for us to have our meeting in the Cafeteria so that he or she or whatever could retrieve the dummy!"</p>
<p>"Huh?!"</p>
<p>Red's eyes widened,</p>
<p>"B...But it isn't a prank! Why would I do something like that?! Faking someone's death isn't funny at all!"</p>
<p>Brown dropped Red, causing him to fall on his rear. </p>
<p>"Okay, if you won't confess, then I'll just find your partner in crime," Brown said, bitterly as they began to walk off while yelling, </p>
<p>"Blue! Blue! Where are you hiding, you bastard! Come out, come out wherever you..."</p>
<p>Brown walked too far away for them to hear the rest. Pink knelt down to Red and helped him up,</p>
<p>"Are you okay?" they stated. Red took Pink's hand and got to his feet with a nod. </p>
<p>"Yeah, I'm fine. These suits are protective but,"</p>
<p>He looked down as he visualized Blue's severed lower body with the bone sticking out,</p>
<p>"Not protective enough to prevent being sliced in half, I guess."</p>
<p>White crossed their arms and looked directly at Red,</p>
<p>"Red, be completely honest with me. This isn't a prank, right?!"</p>
<p>Red sighed and gave a slow nod, "Yeah," his voice was weary as he spoke,</p>
<p>"If only that were the case. Even now, I am hoping that Brown finds Blue hidden in a hidden corner, snickering at us somewhere."</p>
<p>Their conversation was interrupted as Purple stated with emphasis, "Guys,"</p>
<p>the others focused their attention on the new speaker, "We can't contact HQ."</p>
<p>"What?!" they all yelled except for Black. Purple nodded as they motioned to some machinery that was within the Communications Room. Inside, the relay device was broken. Wires were ripped off the machine while sparks flew, and the power was severed from the computer.</p>
<p>"Oh, my God!" Screamed Pink as they covered the area on their suit where their mouth would be,</p>
<p>"Maybe the door closed on it, just like what happened to Blue!"</p>
<p>The others shook their heads in shame because, to them, that had to be the most ridiculously asinine explanation that they could possibly hear. None of them were amused one bit as White yelled,</p>
<p>"Okay! Who was the last person that left the crime scene?!" Despite softening up to Red, White pointed directly at him, </p>
<p>"Was it you again?!"</p>
<p>Red backed up while holding his hands defensively, "Woah, dude! Calm down!" </p>
<p>Similar to Brown, White stepped up to Red,</p>
<p>"Calm down?! How can I?! First, you found the body and showed it to us. Now it's not here and could be a prank for all we know! And then, we can't even contact HQ?!"</p>
<p>White shook their head in shame, "You see?! I can't relax! This is becoming a <em> little </em> too much!"</p>
<p>"Calm! Down!" yelled Cyan, "Red could not have possibly done this, remember?! After he showed us the crime scene, he stayed out in the hallway and allowed us to investigate."</p>
<p>And just like that, White somewhat regained their composure as they stated, "Oh..." </p>
<p>White recalled the machine being intact at the time of the body discovery. The coolheaded nature was short-lived as White growled,</p>
<p>"That brings us back to square one! Who the heck was the last person here?! Who left the crime scene last?!"</p>
<p>Except for Black, the others looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, confused and bewildered.</p>
<p>"Well," scoffed White, "Isn't that convenient!"</p>
<p>The group began to hear footsteps coming from the direction of the Storage Area. The distraught crew diverted to the source and noticed Brown, appearing troubled. Brown held a nearby rail and panted, "G...Guys! I can't find Blue anywhere, and I noticed something odd about their bunker!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Fifteen minutes had passed. The crew was gathered in the Cafeteria yet again. They stood in front of the entrance towards Blue's room. The door possessed a placard that had a picture of Blue. What was unusual about the depiction was that it was crossed out with a big crimson X. </p>
<p>"O...kay," stated Purple, "That's pretty ominous."</p>
<p>"How about this?" Interjected Brown, "We are going to call it a day and retire in our rooms. Tomorrow morning, at 7:00 AM, we will be out of our bunkers and discuss everything that happened and how to move forward. No sooner or later, and I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to abide by those regulations. Like I said before, all of us together insight. Got it?"</p>
<p>They all nodded in agreement. From Red's perspective, Brown was taking the situation much more seriously and keeping everyone organized. He began to feel as though he was wrong with his initial assessment of Brown.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Another ten minutes had passed. Red was in his bunker.</p>
<p><em> Alone, at last </em>, Red thought to himself. Things got a little too tense for him as he finally took off his suit. Underneath was a young man that could not be any older than twenty. He had long black hair, and his eyes were bloodshot. Randall, the man behind the suit, wore jeans and a white T-shirt. He was a broken mess after everything that happened in the span of a few hours. There was far too much to process, and it happened in such a short amount of time. Randall knelt down as he panted while beads of sweat poured down his brow. His hair was a wreck, and the Crewmate was glad that nobody could see how broken he was. Despite everything that happened, his bunker was the only place where he felt safe.</p>
<p><em> Nobody can kill me here. Nobody can cut me in half, </em>he thought as images of Blue's corpse filled his mind. Randall's heart would not stop beating. The group all started as random volunteers doing maintenance-type work, then the situation turned into a nightmare. From Randall's perspective, the incident was no accident, and he was settled on his stance. The only semblance of relief that he had was that at least his best friend may be alive on earth.</p>
<p>"My God," muttered Randall, "You sure as hell better be."</p>
<p>Although Randall knew that he shouldn't wish death on someone else instead, it was the only thing that he could hope for at this moment in time. Randall laid down on his bed sideways. In this situation, the best thing that he could do was sleep it off since he could not see any other alternatives.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>                                                                              </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Episode 1, Act 4 (Unveiling The Culprit)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Randall stirred up from his sleep, feeling groggy. His vision was unfocused as he took in his surroundings. From his point of view, the young man was in the Cafeteria. Before waking up, Randall's head was somehow laid on the meeting desk. Once his vision became apparent, the Crewmate looked around, wondering how he got at this location since just moments ago, he was in his bunker. Based on his knowledge, he and only he had access to his room, but he guessed that he wasn't as safe as he thought. Randall's body felt odd as he touched his chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The suit is on, </span>
  </em>
  <span>the young man thought as he got out of his seat and observed his body. And now the situation made even less sense to him. What was also off-putting was that the environment seemed surreal. The only thing that was in view was the meeting table and some nearby flooring. Everything else was a dark void as if the only thing that existed in this expanse was the table and the space around it. Red dared not to step into the darkness, for he had no idea whether he would get sucked in or fall into the abyss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay</span>
  </em>
  <span>, thought Red, </span>
  <em>
    <span>There is no way that this could be real, and I know that I don't take any type of drugs. I must be still asleep in my bed inside of the bunker. This experience is what one would call a lucid dream. I just have to wake up, somehow.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red sat back down in his seat, not knowing what to do and not being in a particular rush to end this. He felt as though this location, regardless of it being fake, would be visited frequently for some strange reason. In front of him, on the other end of the table, was another person. It appeared to be Blue, still in their suit, gazing directly at Red. This caused the man to scream in terror since Blue was supposed to be dead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Regardless of his outburst, the figure in front of him did not budge. Instead, they stared intently at Red. Eventually, Red calmed down as his excitement dropped. He muttered,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I guess you're not really Blue since he isn't among the living. You probably are just a figment of my imagination. I kinda wonder if the real Blue was really a faker. I guess I won't know until this ordeal is over."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The figure on the other end responded,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That is if you survive this trial. I could be your best friend. I could be a pretender. Who knows? It doesn't matter at this point since I departed."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red looked down, "Sorry about that. If there was a way for me to prevent it, I would have. If you are trying to make me feel worse than I already do, now is your moment to strike me while I am vulnerable. Go ahead."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blue shook their head, "There was nothing that you could do to save me, and I didn't come here to chastise you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then why are you here if it isn't to torment me?!" yelled Red. Blue remained silent. Time passed to the point in which Red lost track of it. Eventually, the concept altogether faded. He knew that he should have probably woken up hours ago, but it seemed like he had no control over this dream after all. Blue was the one to break the solitude as they stated,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You didn't kill me, right?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red looked up at him and nodded, "Yeah. You would know, you're the victim."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then what happened?" Red stood up from his seat and walked around, "I don't really know. I assumed that it was murder, but perhaps it was just an accident after all. An unexplainable one. I mean, White said that we couldn't bring weapons, and I guess they couldn't be too wrong unless we were missing something."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And yet, I died. Cut in half no less, in a room in which there were no doors. Was it really a mishap?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red looked off into the dark space as he recalled how furious he was when he found the body. Sure, part of it was due to believing that it was his best friend, but even after finding out that Blue may not have been who he thought, something still didn't sit right with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It definitely had to be murder. There was no other way about it, and the accident story just does not fit."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay, then the next question is, could it have been a third party that assassinated me?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red had not even considered the possibility as he froze in his tracks, but it only took him a few seconds to come up with an answer,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Maybe. But that is, only if one of us isn't who we say we are."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And why did you put it that way?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's because of these suits. We have to have them on to gain entry into the facility. I considered the possibility of an extra person, but the capacity of this station is eight. It would have gone into immediate shutdown if a ninth person entered, and that hasn't happened. I guess the scientists designed it that way so that no outside influences could interfere with the design. Sure, the oxygen tanks would still function, but it would be similar to the blackout situation."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blue nodded, "I see, so far, it has been decided that it could not have been an accident, and it had to be one of you. Despite everything, based on what was presented in the past, the only person that could have killed me was you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red growled, "Not this again! You already know that I didn't do it!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What time did it happen?" murmured Blue. "When was I murdered? If you really want to prove your innocence, then you would have to uncover different possibilities. Reconsider what happened yesterday if you can."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red turned to Blue. He then sat back down in his seat as he reflected on the day. He recalled the conversation that he had with his insecure Crewmate before the two headed to the Cafeteria. Red then mused on Black's wary mannerisms around the time when the door slammed shut on them. The two later passed Cyan and White on the way to the Upper Engine Room. After their final conversation, Red went straight to Navigation through the Cafeteria way. He remembered waiting for the files to upload, but they were taking forever. Then there was one pivotal moment—the instant when he felt eyes on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Someone was watching me from around the corner at that time." Red breathed, "But I didn't overthink it since there weren't any dangers. I didn't get a good look at who it was. But that person may have either been on their way down to Communications or came from that direction."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red's eyes widened, "You asked about your time of death. It had to have occurred before the blackout. The blackout may have been used as a cover to mess with the time of death. I think Black may have said something similar, but based off of my alibi, which I did not mention in the meeting, it makes perfect sense."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blue kept tapping the table with their fingers as they stated, "And why do you say that it happened before the blackout? Couldn't it still have occurred when it was lights out?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red shook his head no, "That's impossible."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And why is that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Alibis, that's how. It is the same reason why I was suspected of being the only one who could have killed you. There was no way that anyone else could take the same path as me. Initially, I thought that I bumped into someone during the blackout, but that object turned out to be a fixture that was in the middle of the path."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I see. Based on your deductive reasoning, do you have any idea who could have killed me? Or is it too soon, and you would prefer to go over alibis again to get a broader picture?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red thought for a moment as he recalled bits and pieces of the conversation, </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"If my memory serves me correctly, during the blackout, I headed towards Electrical through Navigation. Black, Purple, and Pink went to that same area, except that they went south through the Cafeteria. Brown was in their bunker the whole day. Cyan and White were together in the Medbay. They didn't budge."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes. And?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red went silent. He was so determined to deduce the truth in this void, but now he was beginning to feel a little uneasy. He really did like his Crewmates. Every single one of them and this included Brown despite being heckled and picked on earlier. Red knew that he was so close to unveiling who the culprit could be. Even if he had no intention of accusing this individual outright, the young man understood that there was no going back. Red trembled as he tried to keep it together. Somehow, he grasped that Blue could tell that he was distraught. Red appreciated having his peace, but he comprehended more than anyone that it was just an illusion. There wouldn't be any harmony until this was all over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>But still</span>
  </em>
  <span>, thought Red, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can't just leave things the way they are, and there is no telling what the culprit would do if I left the situation as is.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly, Red had a visual of the rest of his crewmates being sliced in half.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Even if Blue was not really my best friend, I could understand that they were simply scared and anxious because of the situation. Blue did not mean any harm, and what was done to them was wrong.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red stopped shaking. He appeared to have made a decision. Red ruled that he would commit to the truth regardless of how horrible it may be and notwithstanding the consequences.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He opened his eyes and stated, "Finding the culprit is simple. It is just a matter of process of elimination. That's it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I see. Go on."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red nodded, "The only thing that has to be done is recount everyone's alibis before the blackout, then we will find out who did it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blue clasped their hands together and stated, "Okay, where was everyone during that time?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red looked up as he said reflectively, "I was in Navigation at the time, waiting for the files to finish uploading. I'm ashamed to say it, but the internet connection was shoddy."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blue nodded. Red continued to speak, "Cyan and White, if my memory serves me correctly, was in the Medbay the whole time trying to fix some type of scanning machinery. I don't know why that is relevant to the tasks, but I won't judge. Seems like a waste of time if you ask me, but that's what they were doing."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red paused for a moment and glanced at Blue. Blue appeared to be attentive, which told Red to continue, "Brown was in their bunker all day, according to Black's testimony that is. Black, Purple, and Pink were in the Cafeteria until Pink,"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red stopped as his eyes projected underneath the mask. He was in shock as he gawked off into space.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It seems like you may have found my killer," stated Blue, but Red was far too gone as he thought of his interactions with Pink. She seemed so sweet and timid to him. That was if Red assumed that Pink was female. He recalled her in the meeting and remembered encouraging her to give her testimony when she was frightened and scared. He even remembered Pink defending him against Brown and helping Red back up on his feet when Brown dropped him. She and Black were the only two that did not appear to judge him when everyone else kept their distance after the meeting. And now he was in a situation in which he believed that she murdered Blue as he visualized her chopping her victim in half.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nope," stated Red as he shook his head sideways, "That's impossible. There's no way that she would do that. There is no f****** way."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blue then crossed their arms as they stated, "So you're saying that you did it then?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red gritted his teeth as he balled his fists.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Randall, I know that this is hard on you, but sometimes that is just how it is."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red breathed heavily. He knew that what Blue was saying was right as he lowered his head on the table. There was no turning back for him as he let loose a sigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Pink...left the Cafeteria and went to the Weapons Bay at that time. Based on the timing, Pink could have been watching over my shoulder while I was uploading files. There couldn't be anyone else."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He closed his eyes, "I don't know if she was heading down to Communications at the time or returning from there, but she was the only one that could have done it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was it. Red opened his eyes as everything around him started to fade. He observed Blue's figure. The young man heard the deceased Crewmate say Thank You before they completed disappeared. In moments, everything became one with the darkness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Randall then woke up to an ear-piercing sound. The young man's eyes were greeted by red lights that flickered around him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Reactor meltdown! Reactor meltdown! Reactor meltdown!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was all he could hear as the panicked man retrieved his Red suit, put it on, and rushed out of his bunker.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Episode 2, Act 1 (An Impostor's Point Of View)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was currently nighttime, or at least according to the clock in the room. Just about all of the crew members should be asleep at this moment. However, there was one person that was awake. This individual appeared to be a young woman that wore an all-black frilly gothic type dress. The lady looked to be in her mid to late twenties. She was thin, her hair was long, and she wore makeup despite it never being seen out in the crew quarters. The female was laid out on her bed while observing various documents. One of them was the map of the facility. Another file contained locations of the security cameras and logs of where each crewmate went to and from. The third document that she examined consisted of the layout of the vent locations and their connections. There was a final stack of papers that was entitled, <em> The Impostor Files </em>. The contents confused the woman at first, and she was not sure whether to take any of it seriously or not. Regardless, this was classified information and should not be shared with other persons, including her Crewmates.</p>
<p>Based on what happened yesterday, the lady knew more than anyone that the two prime suspects were Pink and Red. Though, the others seemed to be convinced that the cause of Blue's disappearance was still unknown. The woman did not like the direction that the conversation was going, so she had to stop it. Before she could finish scrimmaging through the files once more, <em> that </em> happened. Alarms blared throughout the facility as she kept hearing a repeat on the loudspeaker,</p>
<p>
  <em> Reactor Meltdown! Reactor Meltdown! Reactor Meltdown! Reactor Meltdown! </em>
</p>
<p>Without wasting any time, the young woman got out of her bed with a deft movement and put on her suit in three seconds. She then left her bunker and entered the Cafeteria with no issues. She was the first one out, which she would expect until more Crewmates emerged one at a time. Judging from their expressions, they were all panicked or pretending to be. Their mannerisms were justified to the suited woman considering their circumstances. She personally has stared death in the face so many times, so this was nothing to her.</p>
<p>"Okay!" she yelled for the first time ever since their voyage, "We don't have much time, so I will make this concise! We need to operate the terminals that are in the Reactor!" </p>
<p>Despite the lady taking charge, she knew that she would put herself at significant risk with the next action. It wasn't the Reactor that was the problem since that could be resolved with two people. The main issue was who she was going to bring along. She had to get to the bottom of this mystery and was aware that putting herself in harm's way would be necessary at times.</p>
<p>"Red and Pink," she beckoned them over, "I want you both to come with me! We are going to rectify the problem!"</p>
<p>She looked at the rest of them, "And for you remaining lot, follow us, but keep a safe distance so that we don't stumble into one another! Our lives are at stake here. Don't enter the reactor room! Just leave that to us, and please don't stray away! Stay together! Once this is finished, we will all return back to the Cafeteria and retire for the night!"</p>
<p>This change in roles caught many of them off guard since Black was the type that regularly remained silent. Others were confused as to why they all had to be together as it only took two to fix the Reactor. All they would have to do was place their hand on a terminal, and the scan would take care of the problem. Regardless, they followed directions even if it was nonsensical.</p>
<p>"Alright, Black!" responded Brown.</p>
<p>This is what they called her because of the color of her suit. It was supposed to be a code name. The truth was that she was known as Black in the outside world as well. As the young woman ran with Pink and Red, she observed their movements. Red looked as if he was about to stumble a few times, while Pink seemed to be a tad bit more composed. If Black were in a position where these crewmates were hostiles that needed to be eliminated, she knew that it would be the ideal moment to off someone during times like this.</p>
<p>
  <em> How would I approach this? </em>
</p>
<p>She thought, <em> Now would be a perfect time to kill someone, even if we are all grouped up like this. I personally would perform a stealth strike in the back row while everyone is so focused on the Reactor. </em></p>
<p>Black looked behind her. The others followed a safe distance, and they seemed to be intact.</p>
<p>
  <em> Hmmm... </em>
</p>
<p>She pondered. Even with the situation being the way that it was, Black choose the safest grouping to secure an alibi since they were all together for the most part. Eventually, the trio arrived at the blaring Reactor. It kept flickering red, and the messages wouldn't stop, which caused many of them to feel as if this place was foreign to them since this was the first occurrence. The larger group waited outside of the Reactor room while the three were inside. Red and Pink were panting and weaving as Black crossed her arms and looked down at them.</p>
<p>
  <em> It is just us three. Now would be the perfect time to strike. Based on what happened earlier, killing me and blaming it on Red would be Pink's definitive move if they really did it. </em>
</p>
<p>Black has stated, "Red, place your hand on the northern terminal. I shall take care of the southern one. Once the screen turns green, then that should be it. We just saved our lives."</p>
<p>Red nodded as he did as instructed. Black casually walked south towards her monitor. Along the way, she passed Pink and turned her head towards them. Pink just starred back with their hands covered where their mouth should be, as if panicked. Once Black had gotten to the terminal, she placed her hand on it, then a few seconds later, the screens turned green, the Reactor stopped malfunctioning, and the alarms ceased. Everything was back to normal. Black turned to them. She glanced at Red and noticed that he was panting very hard, and he fell down on his back.</p>
<p><em> Poor kid, </em> she thought. <em> He is way too green to be the culprit. And I honestly could say the same about Pink. But then again, they both could be troublemakers. For all I know, they may be accomplices in murder. </em></p>
<p>Pink walked over to Red and held out a hand.</p>
<p>"Here..." they stated, "Let me help you up again, friend."</p>
<p>Instead of accepting the kind gesture right away, it would almost seem as if Red was glaring at Pink from Black's perspective. He had his fists balled, and he appeared to be shaking all over. A few seconds later, he grabbed Pink's hand roughly, pulled himself up, and bumped into Pink during the process. The impact nearly knocked the recipient over. </p>
<p>"Ooooof!" stammered Pink as they staggered back towards Black. Black did not intervene just yet as she placed her hand towards where her temple would be and pondered,</p>
<p>
  <em> It seems like Red may suspect something. I guess he is far more intelligent than I give him credit for. If I were in his shoes and did not commit the crime and yet got framed, then I would be livid too. Can't write him off as a bumbling idiot anymore. But still. He is throwing out the element of surprise. </em>
</p>
<p>Pink looked confused, "Red? Are you okay?"</p>
<p>Red stated darkly, “Yeah...You know how it is. I am in a stressful situation with a bunch of strangers that are supposed to <em> cooperate </em> with me.”</p>
<p>Still bedazzled, Pink shrugged their shoulders as they stated, "Oh...okay, I guess. Let's head back with the others to the Cafeteria. Remember, no straying like Black said!"</p>
<p>Pink scurried along, carefree as ever. Red did not follow right away as he balled his fists yet again while observing Pink from behind. He was breathing heavily, and his body looked tense. From Black's point of view, it almost looked as if Red would rush at Pink and fight them any second. She knew that she would have to take control of the situation as she stated,</p>
<p>“Red. Let's head back. Remember, we are crewmates. I understand that you are under a lot of pressure, but we will get through this together.” </p>
<p>Black approached Red and placed her hand on his shoulder, “I promise.”</p>
<p>Red starred at Black. It would seem like there was much that he wanted to say from Black's perspective, but she was relieved that he was at least smart enough to not do anything rash right away. Red nodded as the two caught up to Pink, and then later, with everyone else that waited outside of the room.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Five minutes had passed. All of the remaining crew members were together in the Cafeteria. Black observed them all, and from her viewpoint, they seemed to be doing fine.</p>
<p>"Okay," stated Brown, "We are all present and accounted for."</p>
<p>Brown turned toward Black, "Anything else, sir? Even though I don't quite understand why you organized things in this way, we decided to follow through."</p>
<p>Black shook her head, "Nothing else. I just wanted to make sure that nobody suffered the same fate as Blue did since the Reactor was malfunctioning and we were in panic mode. It was the perfect time for the culprit to chop someone in half. Still, given the circumstances, it would seem like they weren't presented with the opportunity."</p>
<p>This caused many of them to gasp and groan, appalled. Pink and Cyan covered their mouths with their hands. White shook their head in shame while Brown looked down. Red was the only one that nodded in agreement. One of them yelled, furiously,</p>
<p>“This again?!” </p>
<p>To their surprise, Purple was the one that made the outburst as they continued, "<em> Nobody </em> is a murderer! We had gone through this already! What happened to Blue had to have been an accident since there aren't any weapons on board!"</p>
<p>Purple was generally quiet. They usually spoke when spoken to or if a need was required. From the rest of the crewmates' standpoint, it was best not to push the issue any further as Black stated,</p>
<p>“It still is five hours until morning. Let's go back to our bunkers, rest, and be out here at 7:00 AM. Remember, we have to talk about where to move from here." </p>
<p>The rest of the crew looked at each other and nodded. The staff seemed to be far too sleepy to interject since the alarms woke them up in a crude way. The crew members entered their bunkers one at a time. Brown was the third to last person to open their door. Black feigned going into hers until she noticed that Brown's door was closed. She stepped out of her room as the door shut automatically. The only other person was Red. He just stood there, staring at Pink's bunker, tense as usual.</p>
<p>"Red," stated Black, "I have some idea of what's on your mind. If you don't mind, can you come with me over to the Security Room so that we can talk things over? I understand that the situation isn't ideal, and we are strangers. But it would be so much easier if we worked together at least."</p>
<p>Red looked over at Black. He said something to her for the first time ever since the alarms sounded,</p>
<p>“It's not <em> you </em> that I'm worried about, especially since you bailed me out earlier. We will talk, but it will be under my terms and over there." </p>
<p>He motioned at the meeting table and stated. </p>
<p>"I don't completely trust you, so I'm not going to follow you anywhere, but at least here, it's far safer." </p>
<p>Black nodded as she and Red went over to the table. They both sat on opposite ends.</p>
<p>"I suppose this is fine," stated Black, "Nobody can hear us while they are in their bunkers, and if anything happens, we could just escape to our rooms."</p>
<p>Black motioned over yonder at the doors. She then looked at Red and stated,</p>
<p>“This is not going to be like the discussion that we had last night. I am just going to tell you what's going on, who I am, and who <em> they </em> are.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>                                              </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Episode 2, Act 2 (An Impostor's Cooperation)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> I could just kill him right now, </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black thought to herself as she gazed at Red,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> This kid really feels that he is safe here with just us two. Little does he know, it would be far too easy for me to just rush behind him, put him in a chokehold, then snap his neck like a twig. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The person in front of her, Red, appeared confused. Red simply shrugged his shoulders, waiting for Black to speak, seeming to be somewhat oblivious of his current situation. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> I tricked the others into thinking that I went into my room, so I have an alibi that I could attest to. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black glanced over at the room doors.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> I wouldn't even have to hide the body. Though, the group wouldn't just dismiss it as an accident anymore. They are pretty stupid but not that dense. </em>
</p>
<p><br/>Due to Black's profession, this was how she perceived the world. It was a constant mental scenario in which she would hide or eliminate people, potentially steal their identities, and manipulate others by placing blame. It came second nature to her. From her standpoint, to beat an Impostor, it took one. Black cleared her throat and spoke,</p>
<p><br/>"You know, I am taking a huge risk being here, all alone with you. Because of what happened yesterday, you could be a killer, and how do I know that you wouldn't do the same to me as you did to Blue?"</p>
<p><br/>Of course, that was a lie, as Black could easily take Red out, assuming that he was who he said he was. Red crossed his arms and replied, "I could say the same about you. I don't know anything about you, and you have been acting strangely. I want answers. Give them to me."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black was taken aback by how straightforward Red was being. At the same time, it wasn't too terribly shocking to her. Red nearly got framed for murder moments ago. If it wasn't for the fact that the crew was too incompetent to just allow it to slide, there was no telling what would have happened.</p>
<p><br/>"I will make this as concise as possible," stated Black, "This experiment was compromised as far as I know. I find it hard to believe myself, but there may be a creature on board. And this creature can imitate us perfectly."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black looked at Red. She observed his body movements to see how he would react. Every subtle response told her so much information. She thought that she heard a gasp from him, but this was to be expected. He probably did not expect the conversation to go in this direction.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You're not going to dispute what I have to say or anything?" Black stated with a hint of mischief in her voice, "I could be...pulling your leg for all you know."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red stated, "I don't believe in monsters, but I guess it is possible at this point. A lot of weird stuff has been happening. All I know is that I didn't do it, and I figured out who the culprit is." There was a brief pause until Red continued to pry,</p>
<p><br/><br/> "So this mission is compromised, you say? How do you know all of this? Are you a part of the CIA or something? Are you a cop or a detective?"</p>
<p><br/>"I have connections with them, yes, but I'm not quite ready to reveal that just yet. Just know that between the two of us, we understand that something is amiss. All I request is that you stick with me for a couple days. And please, be on your best behavior."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black shook her head, "You squeezed Pink's hand and bumped into them earlier. You need to be more subtle and show more restraint. If you really want to avenge Blue's death, you must stop letting your emotions get the best of you and find some way to corner the antagonist. From the others' perspective, if you just flat-out started accusing the culprit, you might come across as a bully and bring more suspicion on yourself. They would think that you really did commit the murder, and you were just covering up your tracks."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red sighed and looked down. Black took a sigh of relief because it would seem that Red understood where she was getting at.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"What are you suggesting?" muttered Red, "And why don't you just tell me everything? You said that you had answers, but I'm still in the dark here!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Because, Red, I'm still figuring things out too, and am finding this hard to believe myself. I have access to many files in my bunker. They tell me about these <em> monsters </em>, but it sounds like something straight out of science fiction. So our main focus should be to not overthink it and just corner the culprit to see if there really is any validity to the documents."</p>
<p><br/><br/>Black stood up and paced around the table. She looked down while Red kept observing her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Based on the files, these things are biomechanical. They can hack electronic objects. I suspect that's what happened with the doors, as well as the lights turning off and the reactor meltdown."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red gasped. This reaction did not surprise Black either. She was hesitant to tell him this much but based on her impressions of the other crewmates, she suspects Red to be the least likely to be one of those <em> monsters </em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Now, bear in mind, I don't have any concrete proof, but it may be plausible if we inspect every nook and cranny. There may be some evidence of tampering."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Oh my God..." muttered Red, "This is too much to bear. Now I kinda wish that you never even told me this. Even if what you say may be false, the notion that someone is tampering with the station like this..."</p>
<p><br/><br/>He shook his head again and appeared disheartened.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"But, I guess this will be over once we convince everyone else."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black wasn't assured that just convincing them would be good enough, but she nodded at Red regardless. She did what she could to keep his stress as low as possible.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Once this is over, I'm going to tell you more about them. Let's retire for the night."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>                                          </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Episode 2, Act 3 (Left Out Of The Loop)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The crew seemed to have no choice but to continue from where they left off. There were far too many unknown factors for them to make a concrete decision about their current situation. The only certainty was that being stagnant would not lead anywhere. For three days, they continued from where they left on, and on the third, another one of them had died.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Day 1</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red was currently with Black. They were in the Cafeteria. The duo had made an agreement to work together. However, to some extent, Red felt as if he was being strung along. He did not know as much about the situation as his partner. The two were inspecting all of the doors. It was no mystery to Red that the information that was gotten weighed on him as his thoughts spiraled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> There is a monster on board?! It is bio-mechanical?! They can hack electronics?! </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After having enough time to reflect, it was all incredulous to Red. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Nonsense. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He shook his head in disgrace as he observed Black. The partner was meticulous with their observations. Red shook his head again, feeling that this was a complete waste of time. Despite Black's actions, Red sensed that this individual was the most trustworthy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nothing," stated Black, "And for the record, this is the last door of the facility. No broken wires or malfunctioned chips."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red nodded. It was clear to both of them that Red still wasn't wholly convinced about the situation being as how Black explained it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Earlier in the day, the crew had a meeting, as promised. It was brought to everyone's attention that the communications device was broken, to Brown's surprise. The task manager was intact, so everyone knew how much progress was left until they were finished. They decided that completing tasks should ensure that HQ would pick them up and return them home. For the most part, the team was functional. However, Brown disapproved of Black and Red inspecting areas rather than finishing assignments. The duo decided that it was best to be discreet about their actions. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>White also refused to do any work for the time being. Although White was not convinced that a murderer was on board, they suspected foul play. As a result, White had been in the Security Room watching the cameras the entire time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cyan had been in the Medbay while Pink and Purple worked together with maintenance operations in the Engine Rooms. Everything seemed relatively normal despite what happened recently. Cyan approached Black and Red and stated,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey, you two.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Attention was directed to the newcomer as they nodded at them. Cyan turned to Black and said, </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Black, do you remember that project that you asked me to do?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black slightly tilted their head at Cyan and nodded again as Cyan continued,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, it's done. If you want to use it, then you're more than welcome to."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red was uncertain of what was going on as his gaze shifted back and forth. Something clearly happened, and he was aware that he was left out of the loop.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Is it alright if I use it now?" replied Black. Cyan clasped their hands together and appeared to be excited.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sure! I take a lot of pride in my work! Come on, Black! Let's test it out right now!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black nodded one more time. The two conversing ones began to walk off towards the Medbay until Black stopped and turned to Red.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Please join us.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"R...Right now?" Red stuttered as he attempted to find a way to be left alone. "There are other suspicious places that need to be inspected, and..."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Red," stated Black. Their tone was firm and assertive. It caused the hairs on Red's arm underneath the suit to stand. The voice soften as Black has affirmed,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Red...that can wait until later.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black moved their head in Cyan's direction in a gesture telling him to just come. Red sighed, wishing that there was some way to decline as he looked oppositely. Before he could say no thanks, the confused man noticed Brown looking in their area, arms crossed. Brown remained silent and gave the impression of a strict college professor scrutinizing the classroom slackers. Not wanting to be chastised, Red decided to just go with it as he turned back and headed with the other two.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Five minutes had passed. Cyan, Red, and Black were in the Medbay. This was the first time Red had stepped foot in this location as he held no other reason before today. Cyan and Black were talking among themselves while Red was caught in awe by the scenery. With the technology presented here, Red deduced that even the most incurable diseases could be treated in a matter of months. Many medicines, test tubes, books, and bottles filled the scenery. Also, unlike the other sections, the lighting was neon green. His series of thoughts were disrupted as Black has stated,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Red, we are going to take turns using that machine over there.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black motioned to some type of circular platform that Red deduced was used to scan something. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why should I?" shrugged Red, "What does being scanned have to do with the tasks and our research?!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cyan appeared dejected as they stated,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Come on, Red! White and I worked so hard on this yesterday, then I struggled with it by myself since White won't leave the Security Room! At least test it out and prove to me that my efforts bore fruit!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black and Cyan kept starring at Red. It seemed to him that the two weren't going to let him off the hook as they playfully shoved him towards the machine.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay! Okay! Fine!" protested Red as he got on the platform. Still uncertain about the situation. Cyan was typing and mashing away at the nearby computer terminal on the other side of the machine. At the same time, Black leaned against the wall, arms crossed and looking at Red.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey, Red!" stated Cyan, "Just stand still and allow this machine to do its scan." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red scoffed, “Ain't like I have a choice, but fine!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Awwww, come on!" teased Cyan as they kept typing, "It's in the name of science and technology! You are contributing to humanity right now! Turn that frown upside down!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cyan had their fists balled and was acting enigmatic. From Red's perspective, he thinks that he figured out Cyan's life profession. He would imagine that they were some type of scientist. Black snickered somewhat deviously as they stated with less enthusiasm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes, Red. It is in the name of science. Hopefully, the laser won't turn you into jelly. But then again, that could be an amusing sight.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wait, what?!" exclaimed Red. It was too late as from around the platform, a cylinder quickly arose, enclosing Red. There was nothing that he could do about the situation as he pounded on the glass while yelling,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Let me out! Let me out!" His please were muffled. A green light formed around him as the scan was performed. A moment later, the cylinder lowered to the ground, and Red was ejected from the device. The panicked man gasped and wheezed as he fell to the ground.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not cool!" he stammered, "Totally not cool!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red couldn't tell, but it would almost seem as though Black was amused as they stated, "You probably haven't realized it yet, but you just grew a third arm, Red."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red quickly got up and inspected his body. It looked normal based on his observation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Despite you being creepy every now and then, It's good to see that you have a playful side, Black.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cyan chuckled a little. After Red was calmed, he asked, </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What was the point of that experiment? My body feels no different than before.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two motioned Red over to the console as Cyan stated,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It only scanned your vitals. Come check it out, Red!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red felt somewhat disappointed that that whole show was just over something so trivial. Out of curiosity, he complied. Behind him, and much too close for comfort, was Black, hovering over his shoulder. Red cited the contents of the terminal word for word.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Species: Human, Sex: Male. Blood Type: B”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After finishing, Red noticed that Black had given a sigh of relief, then whispered,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“As suspected. So if the documents are true, that only leaves...”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Again, Red recalled the conversation that the two had last night as Red thought to himself,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is for real? Was this whole stunt only to see if I really was human?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Again, Red shook his head,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Nope, that's impossible! He is just overreacting! Sure there is a monster on board, but he meant it metaphorically! I mean, it only took a monster to kill Blue like that! That monster is a psychopath! There is no way that... </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red decided not to overthink it. He still could not comprehend the drastic measures that Black was willing to undertake. Even though he wasn't told about the machine, Black must have talked White and Cyan into fixing this device based on Red's understanding. It had to have been for the sole purpose of confirming one's humanity. Red was starting to get the chills again as he observed Black. It was no mystery that this person was weird to Red, and it wasn't just their mannerisms. Something was off, and Red was not sure what.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Perhaps Black should have been the one to step into the machine instead of me. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As if reading his mind, Black has stated, “Okay. Now it's my turn.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red tensed up as his heart started to pound.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What?! You're volunteering yourself?!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two turned to Red. Cyan was just as confused, but for different reasons. They stated,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Eh? You want me to use the machine again? It already works, so what's the point?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black turned to Cyan and nodded as they stated firmly. The playful mannerisms had vanished, and it was back to business again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes, Again. It may not seem like a big deal, and I know that I already requested enough as is, but this is crucial.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black's tone remained dire. There were no disputes and complaints this time as Cyan punched and mashed away at the terminal. Black stood on top of the circular machine. Moments later, the cylinder emerged from underneath, encasing Black. Despite Red being so curious about Black ever since the strange occurrences, he suddenly started to feel that knowing the truth may cause even further confusion. Red shook his head.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Is something bothering you, Red?" asked Cyan.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"N...No...it's nothing...nothing," he replied. Red did not think that he successfully convinced Cyan that everything was fine. The scan on Black started, then moments later, it finished as the glass descended, releasing the enclosed one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Read it to me," breathed Black. Cyan gave an awkward nod as they complied,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Species: Human, Sex: Female, Blood Type: A.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Initially, Red and Cyan nodded until it dawned on them as they gasped and said simultaneously, </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You're a chick?!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They turned to Black, pointed at her, and appeared shocked. Black looked at them and sighed, placing her hand on her forehead.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“With everything that has happened in twenty-four hours, my gender is what shocks you the most?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She shook her head in disgrace,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I'm ashamed to call you both my crewmates." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cyan chuckled, “I won't tell anyone, and it's good to have moments like this since things had gone from tense to insane in the blink of an eye.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They all knew that there was no arguing what Cyan just spoke as they groaned in despair and looked down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“All that's left is you," stated Black as she motioned to Cyan. Cyan nodded and instinctively knew that they would be requested to do a self-scan. The unscanned crew mate was in the middle of the preparations until the terminal gave them an error message.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Malfunction! Malfunction! Malfunction! </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Darn," stated Cyan, "It's broken again. It's probably going to take me another couple of days to fix it, and..." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don't worry about it," replied Black. Black's instantaneous acceptance of the situation shocked the other two since Black was so insistent on performing the scans.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"We gained some valuable information, so today has been extremely productive. Red and I were confirmed to be human. That makes us the only crew members that are one hundred percent safe. Remember what I said to the two of you. Red and I are one hundred percent confirmed as human. You saw it yourself."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red was not sure how to take this as Cyan has stated with unease, "O...kay. You're human, but aren't we all? What's so compelling about that?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Not responding to Cyan, Black turned to Red,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Red, I know that we made an agreement to work together, but since we confirmed each other in this manner, there is much more incentive to stick together." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red sighed and did not respond. Before a word could even come out, from the corner, Brown emerged and yelled,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I'm sorry to interrupt the fun, guys!” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Attention was focused on the newcomer. The others got silent.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I heard you three laughing and goofing off while we <em> still </em> have tasks to finish. And you two,"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brown pointed at Red and Black.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You haven't completed a single one all day!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red frowned, “I'm sorry, Brown. We will get to them soon.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brown nodded, "I didn't want to come at yall like that, but we are missing a crewmate, and communications are disabled. Or have you already forgotten? We have no choice but to stick to our scripts so that we can go home. Even if we have six months of food and water, we can't stall. As far as we know, nobody is coming to get us until we complete our tasks."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red nodded. Brown then stormed away towards where they came.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Let's listen to them, Red," stated Black, "We can continue with our observations tomorrow."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black turned to Cyan, “Can you do me a favor?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cyan nodded in response as Black has stated,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Don't tell anyone that the machine is broken. Act as if it is still operational." Red and Cyan both appeared confused as they had no idea why this discretion had to be exercised.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay," stated Cyan, "I will still try to fix this down the road and work on my other tasks."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Afterward, they all performed their duties, and the day concluded with no further incidents.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>                                                                </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Episode 2, Act 4 (Impostor Assessment)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Day 2</b>
</p>
<p>"Pink," stated Red. He was currently in the Weapons Bay. From his perspective, it would almost appear as though Pink wasn't doing any tasks. He recalled earlier in the morning meeting that Pink said they would work vigorously to finish what was left in the area. During the few times that nobody was in the Weapons, Black and himself inspected every nook and cranny. Initially, Red did not find one thing suspicious, but according to Black, that fact in itself was what was the problem. The place appeared to be intact, although Pink <em> worked vigorously </em>. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>From Red's perspective, the crewmate was just staring off into space. "Pink," Red said louder. This caused the recipient to turn to Red and appear caught aback.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Oh! Red! Sorry! I'm about to work on a few assignments very soon. Did you need something?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red sighed as he has stated, “I came here to apologize to you. I allowed the stress of the situation to get to me, and I may have taken it out on you by mistake.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red took a bow, "I'm...sorry."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pink gave a soft chuckle, "Oh, that? Don't worry about it, hun. I understand that this situation can be trying."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pink looked down. The crewmate continued to speak sorrowfully, "Especially now, with what happened to Blue. With the door closing on them like that, and the body disappearing."</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Underneath the suit, Red gritted his teeth and thought,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> What?! You piece of s***! YOU'RE the one that did it! </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red remembered that Black suggested that he kept his composure. He took a deep breath and barely calmed himself down as Pink finished talking.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>"There are no hard feelings. And besides, I didn't think much of the incident when it happened. I figured that it was just an accident when you bumped into me, that's all."</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Red nodded, “Good, I just wanted to make sure that we were still on good terms, and who knows? Maybe after HQ picks us up, I could treat you to a sundae or something?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>From the corner, Black observed the two. There was no way that she would leave Red alone with Pink, so she told him ahead of time that she would be watching from afar. The way that Red was treating Pink. Being nice to them, apologizing, and even offering to go out on a date afterward. It made Black feel sick to her stomach.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em> At least the act is convincing enough, </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>she thought to herself as she never removed eye contact. She knew that Red had to take these actions. Once the crewmates were finished conversing, Red left the Weapons Bay and returned to where Black was hiding, which was in the hallway some distance away.</p>
<p><br/><br/>"Alright," stated Black, "Did everything check out? And for the record, I really don't think that they were doing any tasks. After the morning meeting, I went into the Security Room and watched the cameras."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black sighed and stated,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Pink had been standing there for the past couple of hours."</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Red shrugged, "On my end, nothing was unusual besides them being a mannequin. Pink still kept going on and on about how the door killed Blue. It kinda pissed me off. Aside from that?" </p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Red shook his head no and stated, “We probably should inspect the Reactor and Electrical for good measure.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"There is no point to it," stated Black, "No matter how much we investigate, there won't be any evidence of some type of tampering, which doesn't bode well. From this point on, we are best off just focusing on tasks and being on the lookout for suspicious behavior. The bad thing about our work is that it's only proving that the files may be plausible. Tomorrow night I'll show them to you, then from there, you can tell me what you think."</p>
<p><br/><br/>Red sighed, “This sucks. We have to wait for something to happen before anything can be done.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He crossed his arms, "I don't like that one bit. I really don't want another incident to occur, just like with Blue."</p>
<p><br/><br/><br/>"We still can prevent any future tragedies from transpiring. Just remain vigilant, Red,"</p>
<p><br/><br/><br/>stated Black, </p>
<p><br/><br/><br/>"Something doesn't have to happen as you put it."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was silence between the two. Nothing else could be said at this point. All that was left was to await the foreboding future. The third and final day. A day in which the two had no clue of what was to come.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>                                                                               </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Episode 2, Act 5 (Negotiations Interrupted)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Death 3</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"White," stated Red, "I hate to be that guy, but you really need to do some tasks. Even though we are on good timing with being just over halfway done, we could get a lot more accomplished if you got off of that terminal."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The two were in the Security Room. Regardless of what Red had spoken, White's eyes were glued onto the monitor. It consisted of several screens that observed the crewmates' locations via camera. White did not respond right away. Red approached the apprehensive person and placed a hand on their shoulder. This caused White to shake and slap Red's hand away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't touch me!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>White yelled. For the first time, White turned away from the flickering screens, faced Red, and pointed at him,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't you EVER touch me again!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red held out his hands, somewhat astonished by this outburst. It would seem that he wasn't the only one that was on edge like this.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"It's cool, dude. It's cool."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red didn't know White's gender but assumed that it had to be a guy at this point. Red walked towards a nearby table and sat down.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Did you at least want to talk about it? You have been here for the past two days, and you don't ever move until we are all at our bunkers."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>White sighed and looked away as they stated,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"With the disappearance of Blue and with what happened to the machinery in Comms, there is something amiss here!" White's voice was broken as they spoke, "The rest of you may be carefree about getting tasks done, but,"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They shook their head in shame and looked down.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I can't just be nonchalant, ya known?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red understood where White was coming from. Nothing about this situation was okay. Red recollected that White insisted on finding out who sabotaged the communications device during the meeting a couple of days ago.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In the past, White pounded the cafeteria table and yelled, "Alright, who did it?! Who was the person that destroyed the machine and stranded us here in the middle of space?!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They were all in the usual spot, the middle table that was in the Cafeteria. Just about all of them shrugged their shoulders, except for Black, who simply gazed at the accuser. Purple was the first of them to speak as they have stated, </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Maybe it wasn't any of us? Perhaps it was just a malfunction. The device in this facility may not be as reliable as we think, especially with the happenings."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, you are just too much!" retorted White. The furious one was not convinced one bit. Their voice was filled with venom. White stood up from their seat, walked away, then stated with their back turned to them,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't know what the hell is going on, but I'm getting to the bottom of this. If none of you are going to own up to keeping us stranded, then I will just have to force out the truth."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>White turned back to them and pointed, "Just you watch! Whoever the culprit is, you WON'T get away with it. The perpetrator had to be the last person that left that room after we discovered the so-called body! That individual is the one that should be held accountable!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Then take responsibility for a change and own up to your misgivings," said one of them. Red directed his eyes to the speaker that stepped up. It was Black.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no, </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>he thought to himself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Please don't do this, Black. Not right now. The timing is far too inappropriate.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What did you say?" muttered White as they turned around to the source. They were somewhat caught off guard, seeing that the individual that questioned them was Black. It would have been far more comforting if it was someone weaker, like Pink, Purple, or even Red, but it had to be this freakshow. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All eyes were on Black as some moved their chairs away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"You heard me," Black stated with no hint of backing down, "How about you take yourself over to the airlock and eject yourself."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oooooooooooo!" stated Purple and Brown simultaneously. Pink had their mouth covered with their hands while Red's eyes bulged. Cyan stepped away from the table just in case a fight broke out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>White stormed back over to the rest of them while glaring daggers at Black. They attempted to keep their composure.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"It was you, wasn't it?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Black chuckled. The laughter almost sounded sadistic as it caused many of them to freeze, but she calmed down once the talking resumed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't you remembered the situation?" she stated, "If you want to play these games, then I don't mind. YOU were the last person to leave that room after we discovered and investigated the body! Not only did I wait behind the corner and saw you with my own eyes, but in my bunker, I have the logs of you leaving after everyone else. If you want to continue this line of questioning, then I don't mind. Or perhaps you really have forgotten? Based on what happened, it could have only been you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This caused White to be taken aback slightly. They appeared to not have a rebuttal. Red's eyes were widened as he looked back and forth between the two. The rest of them did not intervene even though they knew that they should put an end to it. Black had her arms crossed. Red would guess that underneath that suit, Black probably had a smug look on their face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"P...Perhaps I made a mistake in judgment, then," stated White, "But still."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They pointed at the rest of them and declared, "I'm going to be watching ALL of you. Something is going on here, and I don't like it!" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>White turned back around and headed for the direction of the Security Room with nothing else to say. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In the present, after reflecting, Red sighed and thought,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>God damnit, Black. You said you wanted to help, but making enemies out of your own crew and being an instigator does not benefit us, especially now! Look at what I have to do!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red shook his head in shame, seeing as how he has to play damage control, and for Black, the individual that seemed to know more about the circumstances, no less. Brown was the one that asked him to have a talk with White so that White remained on task since they weren't very approachable. Red remembered questioning Brown as to why he had to be the one to establish communication. Brown reminded Red that it was due to Red slacking off for a couple days. It served as punishment. There wasn't an assigned leader, but overall, the crew had no issues with cooperating. Those words that Black said a couple days ago echoed in his mind.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>How about you take yourself over to the airlock and eject yourself. Based on what happened, it could have only been you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From Red's perspective, it would have made more sense if Black talked to White instead of him. He would guess that, on some level, Brown was reluctant to ask Black to follow suit, and Red was far easier to order. Red couldn't say that he blamed them for asking him to do it instead. Attempting to mend the wounds, Red has stated,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Look, I'm sorry about what Black said. I'm sure that she, err, they would apologize to you if you both just talked it over civilly."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red rubbed his head as he continued to allow the words to flow,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Black may seem kinda. Ya know? Strange, and sometimes a little creepy, but they are trying to help us out in their own way."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red motioned for White to come with him,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Please take a break from the computer terminal and at least talk it through with us. I think if the three of us worked together, we could figure out what's going on. Black and I have been doing our own thorough investigation about the situation. We have been taking notes, so come with us. Let's cooperate again."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It would seem as if White was at least willing to take Red's offer as White stepped away from the monitor and paced around the room. Red kept observing the person that was with him as White's gaze was fixated on the floor. Eventually, White stopped at one of the corners of the area. There was nothing extraordinary about this location, except that there was a large vent next to them. White turned to Red and stated,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Alright. Fine, but I expect an apology. I mean, Black pretty much told me to eject myself out into space and..."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In the middle of White's sentence, the vent opened as steam continually poured out. Red raised a brow and assumed that it must have been another glitch in the system until he recalled Black stating that these things can hack. Red wasn't too sure if vents counted as hackable. Suddenly, his heart began to beat heavily. White kept talking and talking, oblivious to what was going on behind them. A concealed silhouette jumped from the vent. Based on observation, the figure appeared to wear the same suit as the rest of the crewmates. The intruder did not utter a word. Rather, it breathed heavily, seemed to be tense, and its chest puffed out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh no," breathed Red as he pointed in White's direction. Red's finger trembled as he attempted to warn White, but the words would not come out. Underneath his suit, Red's teeth clattered. This only caused White to look at Red, confused, and ask him what he was doing. The shadow's arms gradually shifted into what appeared to be blades as this </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing's</span>
  </em>
  <span> muscles bulged from underneath the suit. The transformation made distinct slurping sounds. Once its arms were fully bladed, the creature crossed both of them together. Beads of sweat poured down Red's brow as he finally was able to say something,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"B...Behind you!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>White slowly turned around to the monster, but it was too late. The...thing slashed with both arms in opposite directions, cutting White clean in half. The former crewmate's upper torso flew in the air as the creature opened its mouth. From Red's perspective, the costume itself may very well be this thing's body. Its teeth appeared razor-sharp and jagged as it stuck out it's pointed tongue at the upper body. The tongue impaled the torso, then it darted back into its mouth almost instantaneously. The monster's mouth closed as it chewed on White's body, crunching the bones, liver, heart, muscles, and everything else. Red slowly backed away. He knew that he was next, and this wasn't good. Once he had gotten towards the exit, Red realized that the door must have closed on him at some point.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No!</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>he thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>This thing hacked the door closed!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Red was against the exit, pounding away, hoping that someone could hear him on the other side. Red glanced over towards the monster. It just stood there, still enjoying its meal. The steam would not let up from the vent, so Red still was not sure of the suit's color. All he could do was observe in horror. Once it was finished eating, the monster appeared to have shrunken down in mass and height to the point of appearing to be the same build as Red. Even its arms turned back to normal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It bellowed in a normal voice,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Ah...that hit the spot. See you in the Cafeteria, Red. I will be waiting at the usual place." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The culprit laughed at the crewmate, then it jumped inside the vent with the object closing behind. Immediately, alarms blared throughout the facility. Red approached White. All that was left was their lower body, with the bone sticking out. A moment later, the door opened back up as the crew, from the other side, rushed in to make sure that Red and White were okay. They immediately stopped in their tracks. In front of them was the lower torso of White's body, with Red standing in front of it. Pink gasped, shocked, while Cyan screamed. Purple shook their head in shame and stated,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What did you do this time, Red?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Black appeared emotionless as she muttered, "It looks like the culprit framed you, Red. I guess you will either sink or swim. If you really didn't do it, then you'll have to prove it."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Brown stormed towards Red while stating bitterly,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"This again?! You little piece of S***."</span>
</p>
<p><br/><br/>                                                                                    <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Episode 2, Act 6 (Deadly Premonition)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Time had frozen. It caught Red by surprise. A moment ago, Brown stormed straight towards him, but presently, the crewmate stood there. The furious one was now a motionless statue, pointing directly at him. Red was still in the Security Room, the same place where White was murdered. The confused man turned to where White's body should have been. The torso was still there, as expected.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> It didn't vanish this time,  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red thought to himself,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The rest of them were present and accounted for. Frozen in place. Red frowned as he continued to think,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> We are all gathered here. The crazy thing is that one of these people committed the deed and is acting as if they are shocked, just like last time. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At this point, Red assumed that this experience had to be some type of dream, similarly to when he had his conversation with Blue a few days ago. Red shook his head in disgust as he observed them. Unlike last time, he wasn't enraged since the initial shock of that incident had long since dissipated.  The crewmates, based on their expressions, appeared surprised, confused, and upset. To some extent, this contradicted the feelings that he picked up on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Appalled, anger, apathy, and happiness. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That last sensation caught Red off guard as he muttered, "Happy?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He shook his head again in disgrace and really was not sure where that came from. On the other hand, he was not too terribly perplexed because he'd imagine that this was how the real culprit felt, which offended him. Without having any other choice, Red left the Security Room and headed for the Cafeteria. He wasn't sure why he choose to go in that direction, but Red figured that he didn't have much to decide from. Once he arrived, he sat down in his usual spot at the table. In front of him were what appeared to be translucent forms of Blue and White. They hovered around the area. Red did not freak out again as this was not his first experience. Not many people knew this, but these types of things happened all the time when he was a kid. The paranormal, the occult, and the metaphysical weren't anything too terribly new to him. Generally, he kept this to himself since nobody would understand his experiences from his perspective.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You went into shock shortly after the group found you in front of the body, " stated Blue, "You're currently unconscious. Otherwise, we wouldn't be talking."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red has stated wearily, "Figures. That was very traumatic. White died right in front of me and in an unexplainable way. While I am somewhat familiar with the mysticism, dealing with actual monsters?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He shook his head and muttered, "That is well beyond my pay grade. Also, I was locked up with the culprit, and everyone got the wrong impression of what happened. I was set up, and I'm convinced that the others probably think that I killed White, along with Blue."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red looked down. He held his head and shook it, "I'm done for."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He began to sniffle, then he cried on the desk. Red would typically feel embarrassed in any normal situation. Not only would breaking down like this shatter his pride as a man but initially, he wanted to be the strong one for Blue. Now he only viewed himself as a pathetic mess that broke under this type of pressure. Even if this could happen to anyone, his reaction was inexcusable to himself. What also did not help was that he gave Black his word that he would assist her. And Red did not see himself as a dependable partner.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Black,  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>he thought, </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Why do I think that she really is on my side? She could have been the culprit and built trust with me so that I wouldn't suspect her. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Red visualized Black just standing there, emotionless, in the Security Room, surrounded by steam. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> No, </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>he shook his head,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> It could have been any of them as well. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red sighed and stated wearily,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Being this wary, suspecting those that you trust, constantly being on my toes," he shrugged, "When does this stress end?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The others did not respond right away. Red stood up from his seat. He observed his surroundings again. It was like before, with this space being the only thing left. Everything else around him turned into darkness without him even noticing since he was so deep in thought. The only question that Red wanted to know was,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"How?" he stated.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He recalled everyone showing up at the door at the exact same time. Red knew that this dream wouldn't last forever. Eventually, he would wake up, then he would have to explain his predicament to the remaining cast. Red understood that this wouldn't be an easy task, and he would only speak if they were at least willing to listen at that point. Red hallucinated about his body floating away from the space station in outer space for some odd reason. The only way how he could get in a situation like that is if he was thrown out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"No!" he stated, "They wouldn't do that!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Wouldn't they?" replied Blue, "They aren't going to rule this off as some accident anymore, Randall."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Even so, I," was all Red could state. His fists were balled. He really wanted to look away from this ugly possibility, but the visions of him being ejected into space would not go away. Suddenly, he didn't wish for this dream to ever end. Red never wanted to wake up, but he somehow knew that his mindset was based on escapism. He has stated,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"They aren't going to dismiss this as the door just closing on him. This may very well be a life or death situation, except that I'm not the only one that is in danger."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red shook his head as he continued to verbalize his train of thoughts,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"There is no other way about it. Even if, by some type of miracle, I manage to reason with them, that doesn't change the fact that someone is killing us off one at a time."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red stopped pacing as he looked at the two.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Blue and White," he softly muttered, "I guess you won't make it easy for me by explaining what happened."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two apparitions remained silent. Red chuckled,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Thought so. I gotta use my steadily improving deductive reasoning."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two ghosts nodded. Red plopped back down in his seat. He did not see the point in brooding as his finger tapped the table continuously, then he spoke,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"It wasn't me. I know that for a fact because I was there when it happened."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was all he could say. He knew that he was in an unfortunate situation since everyone barged into the room. This was more complex than the first killing since, during that time, he just so happened to stumble into the room in which Blue was murdered. This time, he was caught in the act, which only further muddled things. Red was sure that this fresh kill happened through the vent, and that was about it. He would need to get a layout of vent connections and locations, but such a thing was impossible as far as he knew since only the scientists had access to such files. Red balled his fists, punched the table, and yelled,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Damnit! I can't do it! Why does it have to be so hard?! The culprit framed me so flawlessly!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Don't be so certain about that,"</p>
<p> said one of the ghosts. Red looked up. It was White that had spoken this time. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Just because you don't have enough intel right now does not mean that new information won't surface in the future," </p>
<p> </p>
<p>White stated with the same conviction that was exhibit before their death, "You are focusing too much on what you can't prove. Instead, let's take a step back and look at what you have learned. It may not seem like it, but you have more than enough evidence to get out of this unscathed even if there are still some mysteries about the whole situation."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red gritted his teeth as he yelled,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"How?! I was there when it happened, and everyone else rushed in on me! No matter how you look at it, I am the most suspicious, and I can't say that I blame them for acting like that! The only thing that I know is that it was that damn creature that jumped through the vent! It couldn't possibly be a human being! I know that for a fact! The steam is too hot, and it would burn us to death, even through these suits."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Blue nodded at Red. From Red's perspective, despite his rant, Blue appeared satisfied since the conversation focused on the monster itself rather than the circumstances of the murder. Blue replied,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Yes, and?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red gazed at his former crewmate. Red's mood calmed down as he has stated, "Since this is about that thing, I will take your advice and just concentrate on that," he shrugged, "Ain't like I have another choice."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red looked away and crossed his arms as he said, "The monster can hack doors and moves really fast through vents, or so I think."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Why do you think that they can move that fast?" asked White. Red focused his awareness on them as he replied,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I am going based on the assumption that it has to be one of us. White," Red stated firmly, "The alarm sounded almost as soon as it jumped back into the vent, and a minute or two later, everyone just rushed in. That is supposed to be an unimaginable feat by our standards. I guess we are dealing with what was perceived to be impossible only just moments ago. Now taking common sense and logic out of the equation," Red pondered as the pieces were starting to fit, "The creature can travel between vents almost instantaneously. With that being said, it would be probable for the culprit to jump into a vent, kill white, jump back in and return from whence they came. Then, sound the alarms, return to the scene, where they just killed a couple minutes ago, and act shocked."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red's resolve was returning to him. Finally, he was beginning to feel as if he could somehow pull this off, especially after viewing the case from this angle. Just like that, new possibilities had opened up. Even though he still felt anxious about the whole thing, at least this time, he was in a much better place.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"It seems like you got all that you need," the two ghosts had both stated. Red's eyes widened. He remembered the last time the dream ended when he came to some resolution. Still, he wasn't mentally prepared to face the others as he stammered, </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"W...wait! Please don't wake me up just yet! There still are other stuff that we need to look over, and..."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>No matter what he said, it did not change anything. Just like before, everything began to fade to Black. The ghosts did not give any type of response, and at that moment, Red knew that once he opened his eyes, he would be face to face with his crewmates. The next showdown was about to commence.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>                                                                      </p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Episode 3, Act 1 (The Game Begins)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It has been ten minutes ever since Red passed out. Currently, there was a heated argument in the Cafeteria. The crew had been disputing about what to do with Red. A couple of them were convinced that Red had to have murdered White while a couple more were attempting to reconcile the situation and calm everyone down. With Red being passed out and White was recently murdered, there were currently five people in the discussion: Brown, Purple, Cyan, and Pink. </p><p> </p><p>Black, of course, was present, but as usual, she took a more silent approach as she carefully observed the others. Even from her standpoint, she wasn't entirely sure of what happened as she mentally processed the situation while the others continued to quarrel.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Okay, she thought, at the time of the crime, I was in the Cafeteria. I did not complete any tasks today due to my feeling that something was off. Apparently, I was right.</p><p> </p><p>She gazed at Brown and Purple. Those two were so insistent on taking Red and keeping him detained in a designated location. As of now, they agreed that the best place to put him was in the airlock. Black shook her head, not understanding why they had to put Red there. It made far more sense to just leave Red in his bunker and keep someone on guard until all the tasks are completed. She continued to reflect,</p><p> </p><p>Based on my knowledge, Purple and Pink were doing Electrical tasks while Brown and Cyan were in the Medbay. White was in the Security Room with Red.</p><p> </p><p>She shook her head and thought,</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I hate to say it, but it isn't looking good for that kid. He could have been the only person to do it unless White somehow committed suicide. The question is, how? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She glanced at the others yet again. This conversation was going nowhere, and everyone was far too split up to commit to anything. Cyan and Pink were doing what they could to defend Red. It wasn't the implication of murder itself, but these two trusted Red from Black's perspective. They were going based on emotion, even if their reasoning made no sense.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Madness,</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Black thought as she shook her head in shame,</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>What good does going based on a feeling ever do anyway?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The Black suited woman looked over at her bunker. Despite them not demanding her to participate, she knew that she was the only one that could end this stalemate. She really did not want to do this as Black's gaze remained fixed. She initially was going to ask to be excused. But, since the four were too involved with determining the fate of Red, she casually walked over to her personal space, opened the door, and went inside. She had no choice but to tell them all everything. Initially, she wanted Red to figure out a way out of this predicament, but she viewed that as an impossibility. Even if the crew agreed to allow him to explain what happened, there was far too much tension. The biased ones had no reason to believe anything that Red said, and this may be her only chance to bring up some new possibilities. In a way, Black was happy that Red passed out so that he wouldn't self-sabotage the investigation and conversation.</p><p> </p><p><em> What an idiot, </em> she thought to herself in disdain as she visualized him laying face first on the table. <em> If it were me, I would never have found myself in a locked room mystery where I was the only suspect. He should have taken White into one of the hallways to have his conversation. </em></p><p> </p><p>Black snatched away the files from her room without any other alternatives. She backtracked to the Cafeteria. Black wanted to have a smoke break, but time was of the essence. She needed to get the rest of them caught up to speed so that they could make up their minds. As expected, the others were still disputing. This time, Red was tied against his chair. Black cleared her throat, then yelled,</p><p> </p><p>"CREW!"</p><p> </p><p>Her voice bellowed throughout the facility. Fortunately for her, it was enough to get them to stop with the infighting. All eyes were focused on her and the stack of papers that she presented. The young woman approached the desk and sat the files on the table. Brown glanced at it and looked at Black, seeming to be inconvenienced and confused.</p><p> </p><p>"You are a wild card, Black,"</p><p> </p><p>Brown shook their head, "When you say something, it either causes us problems, or it facilitates things. And honestly, at this point, I can't tell what's going to happen. So if you don't mind, tell me which it is this time? Trouble or support?"</p><p> </p><p>"A little bit of both," muttered Black, "I didn't want to do this and wished to be as discreet as possible, but I'm going to tell and show you everything that I know, so feel free to survey the notes."</p><p> </p><p>Black motioned at the papers. The others starred. Pink and Purple were going to grab a few sheets as they reached for them, but they both gazed up at Black, appearing nervous and intimidated.</p><p> </p><p>"Go ahead," she murmured, "I won't bite. I promise."</p><p> </p><p>There was a dark undertone in her voice as she peered down at the two. With reluctance, they complied. Later, Cyan reached for a couple of sheets, while Brown had their arms crossed, peering at Black. Their feet were on the table again, nice and rested, similar to the first meeting. This time, nobody felt disgusted since all of them suspected that murder has happened. Not only to White but to Blue also. </p><p> </p><p>"Oh my God!" yelled Pink as they browsed through the pages. The crewmate observed a black and white photo of a person missing their upper body with the bone exposed, similarly to what happened before. Cyan gasped in shock while Purple seemed confused. </p><p> </p><p>"These gotta be classified documents," asserted Cyan, "I'm not really sure how to take the information, but in a way, with what has been going on, it kind of makes sense."</p><p> </p><p>"Is this for real?" asked Purple, "When I decided to become a participant in this experiment, just being in outer space was strange enough. Am I really supposed to believe any of this? This gotta be a prank! I'm not buying it one bit!"</p><p> </p><p>Brown did not appear to be interested in reading the reports as they decided to get to the heart of the matter,</p><p> </p><p>"Who are you really?" the crewmate has stated to Black. Brown did not remove eye contact.</p><p> </p><p>"I am an Impostor," answered Black. The others instantly stopped in their tracks as they looked at Black. Earlier, the room's emotions were all over the place, but this time, everyone seemed apprehensive. Brown was the only one that appeared to keep their composure.</p><p> </p><p>"Meaning?" the calm one said as they listened keenly.</p><p> </p><p>Black gazed at the others. This was the first time that it had ever been this quiet in a meeting, but she supposed that she affected others like this. Before she could respond, Cyan has stated with unease,</p><p> </p><p>"But these are called the Impostor files. Are you telling me that you are one of those things?"</p><p> </p><p>Black shrugged, "I'm not going to try to convince any of you in any way, shape, or form that I'm not one of those things. I will just allow the evidence to do that on its own. If you want to take me to the airlock to protect yourself, then I'm fine with that. I won't argue or even fight back since we are crewmates after all."</p><p> </p><p>"Then tell us who or what the hell you are!" yelled Purple, "None of this makes sense, and quite frankly, I find it hard to believe!"</p><p> </p><p>Brown nodded. Black clasped her hands behind her back as she paced back and forth. Black knew that this was risky, but what she was doing was calculated. Black purposefully brought the heat off of Red onto herself, and now Black was the most suspect out of all of them. Of course, she comprehended that none of them could determine that she killed Blue or White. All Black would have to do was bring up who she was with and what she was doing, which was partially discussed in the first meeting. Underneath the suit, she smirked. She had them eating out of the palm of her hand by offering to isolate herself into the airlock. And even if she couldn't persuade them, she wasn't going to just let them throw her out into space if that was their plan.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> There is no chance in hell, </em>
</p><p> </p><p>she thought to herself. All eyes were still on her. Unlike the rest of them, she wasn't seated. Black stopped pacing and just stood there, looking down at them.</p><p> </p><p>"It's like I said," she echoed, "I am an Impostor." </p><p> </p><p>She allowed the words to marinate until she continued, "It doesn't mean that I am one of those things if that's what you're curious about. In the outside world, I am an international Impostor. There was an accident that happened years ago before this experiment in this very station."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh my God!" yelled Pink, "An accident?! And they still wanted to go through with this project?!"</p><p> </p><p>Black looked over at the alarmed crewmate and nodded, "Yes. They were desperate due to the overpopulation problem. The government is seeking alternate ways to live. They, as you know, have many secrets. This very station used to be used for scientific experimentation before all of the machinery was cleared out and relocated. One of those experiments was creating a biomechanical organism that could hack electronics. It was supposed to be used as a weapon."</p><p> </p><p>"Let me guess, something went wrong?" asked Brown, "And the government had to shut down this facility?"</p><p> </p><p>Black looked at the relaxed crewmate and nodded, "Yeah, but as I said, this happened years ago. twenty, to be exact. What is occurring now has played out back then in the same way, except that there were a lot more people within this facility."</p><p> </p><p>This caused many gasps from all over as the ruckus resumed. Purple and Pink did not want to just be out here anymore in the Cafeteria. The two wished to return to their bunkers to wait this out until help came. Brown still kept their composure while Cyan moved as close to Black as possible. Even though Black just admitted that they were an Impostor, Cyan knew that Black and Red were the safest two to be around. </p><p> </p><p>"We are going to have to settle this now," stated Black, "Otherwise, we would be picked off one at a time. Just going to our bunkers would make matters worse, as all the culprit would have to do is wait out here and kill us one by one." </p><p> </p><p>"Because that's what you would do if it were you," stated Brown, "Since you are an Impostor after all."</p><p> </p><p>"Yes," was all Black has declared with a nod. She did not attempt to cover herself as people were still wary. Just flat out stating this only brought more suspicion on herself.</p><p> </p><p>"That type of thinking is the very reason why I am here. It would take an Impostor to beat one. When I woke up, the files were in my room, and that was how I was briefed. I can't remember too much, but the events match the files with what has been going on. There were already two deaths within the facility, and I doubt that Red did it. I feel at fault for allowing things to get to this point despite my caution, so I plan on bringing myself to justice after it as said and done."</p><p> </p><p>Of course, that last bit was a lie. Black knew that she would never surrender and did not feel too guilty over what happened since she had no idea that things would play out like this. Just like them, she was skeptical despite having the files.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I mean, monsters just don't really exist, and the only real monsters are people like me, </em>
</p><p> </p><p>she thought to herself. <em> Even now, I'm still having a hard time believing this. The only way that any of it makes sense is if Red was the culprit the whole time. He used some type of blade, sliced Blue in half one day, then White sometime later, and discarded the weapon inside the vent. The vent is the perfect spot as nobody would dare to look there since there is far too much steam for the human body to take. It could burn, even through the suit. If it was a human, it only could have been Red at this point. When it comes to Blue, while there are no vents in Comms, there is one in the room over in Shields. </em></p><p> </p><p>Black shook her head and continued to think,</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Regardless of the verdict, if it cannot be proven that some type of monster is on board, then I'm throwing Red in the airlock and leaving him there. Can't have a serial killer allowed to roam the station. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Her train of thought was interrupted as Brown has stated, "You sure have been in your head for a while. Care to open up? We aren't taking no for an answer."</p><p> </p><p>The crew still had their eyes on her. She nodded at them. </p><p> </p><p>"Of course,"</p><p> she stated, "As far as I can tell, we don't even know if help is going to come since the machine is broken. As suicidal as it sounds, we have to complete our tasks to ensure that aid arrives. I know that would put our lives in danger, but it isn't as bad as it sounds, given that we find the culprit."</p><p> </p><p>Black motioned to one of the files, then looked at Pink. "Care to do the honors?" she asked, "I understand that hiding in the bunker is our safest bet, but for the time being, we have nothing to worry about."</p><p> </p><p>Appearing to be uncertain of the whole thing, Pink nodded at Black, retrieved the paper, and observed it.</p><p> </p><p>"Read it to us," Black has stated.</p><p> </p><p>Pink obeyed as they spoke, "The organism was intended to only hack into machinery. But over time, we have learned that it can also hijack into peoples' bodies while mimicking their behaviors, memories, and personalities."</p><p> </p><p>Pink gasped after reading that last bit. The crewmate gazed at them. They nodded their approval to resume explaining the record. She complied yet again,</p><p> </p><p>"The hacked person does not exhibit any symptoms until after a couple weeks. Afterward, they must consume human flesh to stay alive. Based on observation and the tragedy that happened years ago, the mutated person is no longer human and must eat every three days. The creature can also only transform its body when in a ravenous state. Otherwise, it could only remain humanoid and mostly harmless."</p><p> </p><p>"That's enough," stated Black, "It has already eaten, so we have nothing to worry about for three days."</p><p> </p><p>This caused Purple to punch the desk, "Nothing to worry about?! Even if we have another three days, that doesn't change the fact that we have a monster on board!"</p><p> </p><p>Brown laughed, "Purple, are you serious?!" </p><p> </p><p>They kept cackling, "You actually believe this?! Seriously?! This is all horse s***! There is no monster on board, just a psychopath! That's all!"</p><p> </p><p>Brown quickly turned their head to Black. She could feel the crewmate's glare and could tell that they must be seething underneath that suit as they stated with malice,</p><p> </p><p>"I knew that I shouldn't have let you opened your fu***** mouth! You are one imaginative and manipulative bastard!" </p><p> </p><p>Brown shook their head in embarrassment and stated to the rest of them, "Please don't fall for these lies! All Black is doing is confusing you all by fabricating everything just so that he can get Red off the hook! For all we know, all week, Black forged those papers!"</p><p> </p><p>Cyan shook their head, "So you are saying that ever since all of this started, In their bunker, Black went through all of the trouble to create these stacks of intricate files to throw us off?!"</p><p> </p><p>Brown growled, "Grrrrrrrrr!"</p><p> </p><p>"I could see this being possible if Black prepared these weeks before the trip and somehow smuggled them," stated Cyan, </p><p> </p><p>"But even then, that makes no sense whatsoever. Black would be better off not sharing any info since with how things are, this would only bring suspicion on themself. Logically, just letting Red take the fall would be reasonable. Yet, Black has been defending them ever since this all started."</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>There was no disputing that. Even Brown was silent as they had their arms crossed.</p><p> </p><p>"Why did you not show us this earlier?" asked Brown. </p><p> </p><p>"Because I didn't believe it myself. Even now, it doesn't make sense, but I can't let anything get unnoticed."</p><p> </p><p>Brown appeared to understand.</p><p> </p><p>                                                                                        </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Episode 3, Act 2 (The Game Commences)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Red had finally risen. The groggy crewmate opened his eyes, remembering what White and Blue had told him in his dream. </p><p> </p><p>"They wanted me to remain focused on that monster,"</p><p> he softly whispered to himself as his vision gradually returned. </p><p> </p><p>It was as expected. Red was in his usual seat in the Cafeteria. The odd thing was that he was tied up to a chair. Red chuckled, not feeling too terribly surprised. After all, everyone witnessed him in front of the sliced-up body. What caught Red off guard was how cordial everyone was. Rather than make demands, the crew just remained seated and observed him. It was as if they purposefully were expecting an explanation. The area was eerily quiet, and Red was not sure how to take it. He knew that there was no use stalling the inevitable, so he decided to converse,</p><p> </p><p>“Look, this might sound crazy, but let me start from the beginning.”</p><p> </p><p>Time had passed as Red spoke about the incident. If it weren't for his voice, a pin drop could be heard. The suspected crewmate felt as though he were a teacher lecturing the most well-behaved students in the classroom. No disruptive behavior was in sight.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Fifteen minutes later, Red has stated, "And that's what happened." Still, silence, as the remaining crew gazed at each other. Red had no idea what they thought until Purple stood up and walked away towards their bunker.</p><p> </p><p>"What are you doing?" asked Black. She stared intently at the retreating crewmate. Purple did not respond. Instead, tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge for the first time since the trip. The silent crewmate grabbed the handle and attempted to force it open. Still, nothing. The others watched. Red did not know how to take this.</p><p> </p><p>"It won't work," declared Black, "The Imposter can hack doors, remember?"</p><p> </p><p>With bitterness, Brown interjected, "Or, it could just be jammed. Seriously?" </p><p> </p><p>Brown shook their head, "It's not a monster, just fault machinery, you dumb f***s."</p><p> </p><p>It did not matter to Purple what the cause was since they were growing desperate. Purple flailed, slammed, and struck the door in a fit. The distraught crewmate really didn't seem to want to be out here in a potentially dangerous situation.</p><p> </p><p>"Open up, goddamnit!" </p><p> </p><p>The swearing crewmate kept hammering the door while shouting, "Open up right now!"</p><p> </p><p>Time stilled as the efforts continued to bear no fruit. The crew put their discussion to a halt. Brown sighed while the rest of them looked down, disheartened. Red wondered if Black told them about the monster while he was unconscious. That certainly would have made sense to him. While he was unsure, the others knew and had a mutual understanding of why Purple behaved this way. Red just confirmed the plausibility of the documents with his testimony.</p><p> </p><p>“It won't open!” yelled Purple, “The goddamn door won't open!”</p><p> </p><p>Purple paced back and forth.</p><p> </p><p>“Purple,” stated Cyan, “Please.”</p><p> </p><p>Purple couldn't calm down as they continued to fidget where they stood. Everyone went silent again. The atmosphere felt awkward. During the quietness, Red gazed at the stack of papers that was on the table. Suddenly, it all made sense to him. If he could, Red would have reached over and read them.</p><p> </p><p>"Well," stated Black, "We can't stay stagnant forever. Before we leave this table, we need to unveil the identity of the culprit."</p><p> </p><p>"It could only be Red," stated Brown. The crewmate was so mattered of fact about their stance, "But, for discussion purposes, let's say that there is a monster. As asinine as it sounds, you dumb f***s seem to believe in this fairy tale. So I will work towards debunking this fantasy. As I said, it could only be Red."</p><p> </p><p>Brown looked directly at the tied-up one. Brown's tone was calm and composed compared to the usual. Red was about to protest until Black replied,</p><p> </p><p>"I agree," she declared, "It could have only been Red, but that could be the case if it was a human that did it."</p><p> </p><p>Red gazed at Black and then looked down, "Yeah, I guess from that standpoint, it could only be me, especially since everyone came into the Security Room."</p><p> </p><p>The crew was somewhat caught off guard over Red just accepting the facts. They looked at each other, shocked.</p><p> </p><p>"Before I continue," stated Red, "Are we really open to the possibility that it could be a nonhuman, and,"</p><p> </p><p>Black butted in and stated, "Yes, Red. Please finish. There is no point stalling anymore than we already have."</p><p> </p><p>Red complied and continued, "As I said, it was a vent kill. I was in Security, and it happened right in front of me. Where was everyone else?"</p><p> </p><p>“I was in Medbay,” stated Cyan, “Brown was with me.”</p><p> </p><p>Brown crossed their arms and nodded at Red. Red gazed at Pink since Purple was still distraught while sitting against their door.</p><p> </p><p>"I...I was in Electrical with Purple."</p><p> </p><p>Purple nodded their approval from afar.</p><p> </p><p>“And I was in the Cafeteria by myself,” stated Black.</p><p> </p><p>"Sh**," Red muttered as he looked down, "How am I supposed to defend against that?! I am so suspicious that it ain't funny! I was at the scene of the crime with no witnesses to vouch for me!"</p><p> </p><p>“Trust me, Red,” Brown stated with disdain, “We know, we know.”</p><p> </p><p>Red groaned, “How am I going to get out of this?”</p><p> </p><p>He sighed, then, during that moment, a thought struck him. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The vents! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Out with it,” declared Brown.  Red complied,</p><p> </p><p>“We need to inspect the vents. I know it's too much to ask for, but...” </p><p> </p><p>Before he could finish, Cyan presented Red with the vent locations map while stating, "On it."</p><p> </p><p>Cyan gazed at the map. Initially, the cooperative crewmate was eager to help Red but became hesitant as they kept observing the document. Red wanted to ask what was going on but suddenly felt a little reluctant to know. Without having a choice, Cyan decided to just tell them,</p><p> </p><p>“According to this map, we are all suspects in White's murder. We all were in rooms that had vents. Medbay, Electrical, and Cafeteria.”</p><p> </p><p>The crew looked at each other apprehensively. To put an end to this tension, Brown has stated,</p><p> </p><p>“But in two of those rooms, we were buddied up. The only person besides Red that could have done it was you.” </p><p> </p><p>Brown motioned over to the side with their head, then they put their hands in their pockets. Red looked towards the presented individual. The one that Brown suspected was Black. Contrary to what Brown intended, their declaration caused the room to tense up again. It didn't help that earlier, while Red was unconscious, Black mentioned that she was an Impostor while presenting the Impostor files. All eyes were on her. Suddenly, the lights turned off, except for one. The single source of light shined on the suspect. Nobody moved from their seat since they knew that it wasn't the time nor the place to head over to Electrical to rectify the problem. Black looked back and forth at them. The crew waited for a response from her, but nothing came out except for strange muffled sounds underneath the suit. Immediately, Pink and Brown moved away from Black while Purple stood up, guarded. </p><p> </p><p>"What's going on?" stated Purple, "Is he really the culprit?!"</p><p> </p><p>Silence still, except more muffling. The noise turned into a chuckle, then the chuckling turning into a cackling fit as Black was literally rolling on the floor, laughing at Brown.</p><p> </p><p>"Really, Brown?! Really?! Hahahahahahahahaha!" </p><p> </p><p>Brown observed Black as neutrally as possible. The others were confused. Red sighed and thought,</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> So much buildup and it was all for nothing. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He shook his head in shame. Brown still did not find this as a laughing matter as they stated,</p><p> </p><p>"It makes sense. I mean, you were by yourself as well, with no eyes on you. And,"</p><p> </p><p>Brown pointed over yonder, “What's that over there? Can you tell me?”</p><p> </p><p>The others looked over. There was a vent. Black eventually calmed down. She got back up and stated,</p><p> </p><p>"Ah...I see where you are getting at. I guess the next question would be, where does that vent connect to? If it takes me straight to the Security Room, then it's probable. Very doubtful, though."</p><p> </p><p>Brown did not respond. Cyan looked at the paper and shook their head, "According to this map, that leads right past the Oxygen Room and circles towards Admin. The vents that lead straight to Security are Electrical and M...."</p><p> </p><p>Cyan hesitated as they looked at Brown, alarmed. The crewmate realized that they may have shared space with the potential killer, as Cyan stated with a hint of suspicion, "Medbay."</p><p> </p><p>"Ha!" yelled Black as she pointed at Brown, "I told you! Also, weren't you the one that told Red to have a conversation with White during the time of the incident?! You lured Red over there so that you could jump into that vent, kill White, return, and frame him for the murder! Didn't you?!"</p><p> </p><p>Brown was still composed. They sighed at Black, shook their head in disgrace, and stated, "Is that what happened, Cyan? While we BOTH were in the Medbay, did I jump into the vent, kill White, and come back?"</p><p> </p><p>Cyan went silent for a moment. Brown gestured to Cyan, attempting to just get them to just say no, but Cyan thought about it.</p><p> </p><p>"Please don't do this to me, Cyan," stated Brown, "That would have been impossible, even if we could climb through the vents. I would imagine that it would take some time to navigate through that tight space. The time between White's death, to the alarms going off, to us arriving at the door happened too fast. What this fool is suggesting," Brown pointed at Black, "Is that the culprit could somehow hop to and from vents at will. That's impossible! How can you not see that!"</p><p> </p><p>Cyan said with very little emotion, "My eyes were off of you for a moment as I was doing a task, so it's plausible. Very unlikely, though, as it happened so quick. But then again, if you were biomechanical, it is feasible. I am a scientist in the outside world, by the way, so I have seen many things that you would consider as," Cyan gave an air quote, "Impossible."</p><p> </p><p>Brown grumbled while Black laughed at them. Red has stated, "Truth be told, aside from me, the people in Electrical and Medbay are the most suspect, and that isn't just Brown. To avoid this turning into people pointing fingers and blindly accusing each other, let's try to narrow it down even further."</p><p> </p><p>The room felt heavier. Sighs and grumbles filled as the crewmates kept observing one another. For some reason, Red felt this was their first real meeting despite having a few others prior.</p><p> </p><p>"I doubt that it is Red and Black," stated Cyan, "We were together in the Medbay a few days back, and I tested them both on the scanner. If we believe that there is some type of monster on board, I can vouch for their humanity as I viewed the results. I didn't understand what Black was trying to accomplish with wanting me to fix the machine, but looking back at it, and with how things turned out, I'm glad that I did."</p><p> </p><p>“Is the machine still up and running?” asked Brown, “If so, we can just get everyone tested so that we can put an end to this hoax and hurry up and isolate Red somewhere.”</p><p> </p><p>Cyan looked over at Black. If Red remembered correctly, Black told Cyan not to tell anyone that the machine was broken. Just the memory of the failed device caused him to grit his teeth. They could have put an end to this if it were up and running. Red secretly hoped that the scanner would not have been brought up since he initially planned on using the machinery's status to corner the culprit. Black made some type of gesture to Cyan. Cyan has stated, </p><p> </p><p>"It is fixed, but it currently is on a cool down. Give it about an hour, and it will be available."</p><p> </p><p>Brown nodded, "Fine until then, let's talk about the case."</p><p> </p><p>The crew was uncertain of what else to mention. They had just gone over White's mystery, but it seemed as though nothing could be done about it. There were five people suspected: Red, Cyan, Brown, Purple, and Pink.</p><p> </p><p>"How about this?" asked Purple from afar, "Can we talk about what happened to Blue again? At this point, it's safe to assume that there is a murderer among us, so that means someone had to have killed Blue."</p><p> </p><p>“It's Red,” Brown has stated immediately, “Just like how it is Red that killed White. And if we leave him unattended, he will kill yet again. Just put him in the airlock already!”</p><p> </p><p>This caused Red's eyes to widen as he remembered the visual of his lifeless body floating in space.</p><p> </p><p>“No! You will NOT eject me in space!”</p><p> </p><p>This caused the crew to look over at him in shock about the outburst. Brown chuckled, "Hahahahahaha! You're the only killer here! We are going to put you in the airlock, leave you there, then when the scientists pick us up, we will bring you to justice!"</p><p> </p><p>Brown put their hand in their pocket. Red knew that it was already discussed days ago, and it was up to him to create an alternative. Despite having to take action, Red trembled. For days he was waiting for this moment. While the crew was generally suspicious of everyone, Black looked at Red and crossed her arms. She was waiting for him to do it. To suspect who was on his mind from the very beginning.</p><p> </p><p>“The playing field is even as of now,” stated Black, “Whether you choose to commit or not, I'm leaving that decision to you.” </p><p> </p><p>The others had no idea what Black was speaking of, and it did not matter to Red. He knew that once he took his stand, there would be no going back. The bound one gazed at the crew one last time before crossing that path. Brown twiddled their thumbs while staring off into space. Pink fidgeted anxiously. Purple resumed trying to open their room door, but it still wouldn't budge. Cyan just sat there, wearily. Black remained how she was. Somehow detached from the situation while staying alert.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> It is now time, </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Red thought as he closed his eyes. After his moment of silence, he has stated with a chuckle,</p><p> </p><p>“I guess this is it.”</p><p> </p><p>All eyes were on him.</p><p> </p><p>“There is only one other person that could have killed Blue, and that person is in this room.”</p><p> </p><p>They looked at each other, confused, as Brown stated with inconvenience,</p><p> </p><p>"Who? Who else could it have possibly been?"</p><p> </p><p>Red looked directly at Brown and stated,</p><p> </p><p>"I really don't want to accuse this person because it is going to stir up a lot of controversies. I mean," Red sighed, "This person has helped us out so much, and I wouldn't even imagine them as a murderer."</p><p> </p><p>“Who was it?!” stated Brown. The impatience was evident in their voice as they spoke, “Just pick a color already!”</p><p> </p><p>“It was Pink,” Red stated flatly. </p><p> </p><p>                                                                            </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Episode 3, Act 3 (The Reluctant Showdown)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After Red's declaration, the room had gotten quiet. Just about all of them were perplexed by that accusation, besides Black. Pink was the first of them to speak as they stated obliviously,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"O...Oh, so it was that person, then....w...wait! What?! Y...Y...You're accusing me, Red?!" pleaded Pink. There was silence as the crewmate processed Red's previous three words until they stammered, "T...This is a joke, right?!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The others gazed at Red, awaiting his response. Purple scoffed at Red and muttered, “You really are serious, aren't you? Just to let you know, Pink defended you when you were unconscious.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brown shook their head in shame, “Really, Red? Really?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The crewmate held their forehead with their palm, “That is really low, man. Accusing the weakest person, just so you could throw suspicion off of yourself.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cyan seemed awestruck while Black just waited. As much as he wished for this to be a gag, Red could not ignore that two people were murdered. From Red's perspective, the culprit had shown no remorse and did not value White's life as Red recalled those words,</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <em> Ah...that hit the spot. See you in the Cafeteria, Red. I will be waiting at the usual place.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red looked down and stated, "It isn't a farce. Pink definitely killed Blue. Also, bear in mind that they also are one of the four that could have jumped through the vent."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pink covered their mouth in shock with their hands as they gazed at Red. Brown looked away from Red, disgusted. Despite the crewmate's mannerisms, Brown has stated with waning conviction,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You REALLY are pinning this on Pink. Really Red? Really? Tisk tisk tisk. Bad boy. And after all of those acts of kindness, the support, and the defense. What a rotten little punk you are."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The others groaned and really did not want the conversation to go in this direction. They knew that they had to continue and understood why Red waited to reveal this new information.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Does she really have it in her to kill someone, Red?" asked Cyan, "Maybe it was someone or something else. Her movements are far too clumsy, and she is too pure of heart. Did you at least think it through? I mean, sometimes you can be headstrong, Red."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Yeah, I mulled over it for a few days," he muttered wearily, "Based on what was presented at the time of Blue's murder, and who did what, it could have only been them."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cyan looked at Pink but was still having a hard time accepting this claim.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“B...but, how?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red did not have it in him to respond. He was shaking in his suit. Purple, who was silent, looked down at the ground and stated,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Now that you mention it, Red might be right.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cyan gasped, "What?! You too, Purple?!"</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Purple looked up at Cyan from the ground and nodded, "Yeah, Pink was acting strangely in Electrical. They kept on dipping in and out of the room, as if they were on the lookout for someone, and was plotting." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Purple reached for the door handle and pressed down. As expected, it still wouldn't move. The crewmate continued to speak, "Just like Black, I am different from the rest of you. I actually am serving time in prison."</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>This caused some of the others to quickly turn their heads to Purple in alarm. Red always knew that Purple was quiet but never guessed that this was why.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>"You all are here for money, I'm guessing. It is different for me. If I participated in this experiment, I would be let go since I have been on good behavior for seven years. This situation is really messed up, and it is bothering me."</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Purple looked down and stated, “Seeing criminals kill each other is one thing, but civilians that are living an honest life?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The convicted crewmate shook their head, "It's just not right."</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Purple looked up at Black, "I was really pissed off when Black was acting all wary when all of this started. I really didn't want to believe that we had a serial killer in our midst, but all I did was keep my head in the sand."</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Purple stood up from their seat, walked over to the table, and sat back down where they were.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I can't do that anymore, I suppose."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Purple, </em>
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<p> </p>
<p>Red thought to himself. That speech gave him inspiration. It also told him that his crew consisted of talented and perceptive people, minus himself. Red was just a college student that aspired to become an actor. He knew that he wasn't very good at it but still pursued the career regardless.</p>
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<p>"If Pink is really the culprit," stated Purple, "Then you could have found half of my body instead of White's."</p>
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<p>Brown has stated with uncertainty, "Y...you guys...are....grasping at...straws."</p>
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<p>Finally, it was starting to become evident that the situation was beginning to break Brown. Red guessed that it was Purple's confession that finished it.</p>
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<p>All Purple could muster was shaking their head and replying, "I dunno, man. I dunno. Maybe I am grasping."</p>
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<p>The room got silent as everyone weighed what was being said. Red looked away and knew that there was no going back, especially now. A voice broke the silence as one of them has stated,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It's okay.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The voice was calm and serene through the mask filter. Even if it were only two words, Red picked up that it was full of confidence, there was no hint of malice, and it was somehow soothing.</p>
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<p>“I forgive you all. I mean, we are crewmates in the middle of space during these stressful times. So in a way, I understand how we got to this point.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It almost seemed like a new member has just joined the table. Someone that they hadn't met before. Their eyes shifted to the source. The speaker was Pink. Their posture was healthy, and Pink exhibited so much composure despite being suspected by two people. None of them seemed to know how to take this. Even Black, who, up to this point, had all the answers, shook for a moment.</p>
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<p>“Red,” Pink has stated, “Please explain to everyone how I killed Blue.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red's eyes bulged. He did not expect this to happen, but regardless, he refused to back down. Underneath his suit, he narrowed his eyes and stated,</p>
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<p>"At some point, while you were in the Cafeteria, you went to the Weapons Bay to do some tasks. However, that was a lie. You never did a single one in that room. Black and I had observed you and every nook and cranny in this facility. Everyone else has done assignments except for you!"</p>
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<p>If he could, Red would have pointed at Pink, but he still was tied. From the side, Purple nodded,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I was with Pink all day, and I noticed the same thing in many of the places that we worked. I thought that it was strange and decided to pick up the slack another time. Sometimes, they just stare off into space or pretend as if they are doing tasks."</p>
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<p>“Oh?” stated Pink. The accused crewmate glanced at Purple, then looked at Red. They then shrugged,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I may not be great at what I do, but I try my best. I really was in the Weapons Bay. Once I finished, I returned to Black and Purple. The lights went out shortly after, and you know the rest. Red found the body afterward, and he was the only one alone, so I don't know what else to say."</p>
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<p>"I can't believe it. You really are changing sides and accusing Red now?" sneered Black. She shook her head and stated with spite, "Where did all of that compassion go? When we disabled the reactor, you said that you were there for him and helped him up."</p>
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<p>Red remembered that. Usually, it would anger him, but he felt nothing but sorrow that things turned out this way.</p>
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<p>“Huh?” stated Pink, “All I was saying was that Red was the only one alone, and he found the body. I honestly don't think that there is a killer on board, but if there was one, then...”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pink looked down and shook their head, "I'm sorry, Red. Logically, it couldn't have been another person."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red frowned, “Blue's death did not happen during the blackout. That was a ploy to throw off the investigation. By hacking the lights like that, you were able to cover up the time of death, meaning that Blue was already dead while I was uploading files.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This caused some of the others to whisper amongst themselves as they observed Pink. Brown got up from their seat and moved further away from Pink and towards the middle of both speakers just to be safe.</p>
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<p>"Awe, you too, Brown?" Pink pleaded.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brown did not respond.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Now that you mention it," stated Purple, "It was just a glimpse, but I did see Pink head south from the Weapons Bay as if they were heading for Navigation." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red's eyes widened as the memory of being crept on while doing a task resurfaced. Calmly, Pink reached for one of the documents. She took and read it. The crewmate hummed to herself. These mannerisms were getting more disturbing to many of them.</p>
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<p>“What are you doing?” asked Brown. Pink did not respond right away. She kept on humming away until thirty more seconds passed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Just reading this map," she responded, "And you know what's funny? You were talking about how those creatures are biomechanical. That would imply that I used the vent here in Weapons," Pink pointed at the sheet, then has stated, "moved to Navigation where Red was, then used the other vent to head towards Shields then to Communications."</p>
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<p>Black looked at Red, "Is that what happened? You did say that you felt as though someone was watching you? Did you really let them give you the slip while they were in the same room as you?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Could that have really been possible? </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red thought to himself, but it did not take too long to come up with an answer. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"No, he stated. Once the vents open and close, they make a distinct sound. I heard it myself when I was in Security with White. If anyone were to use a vent, that person would be alerted by the noise and vibration alone."</p>
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<p>“Then I guess it couldn't have been a monster then,” declared Pink.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Oh," was all Black could say in regret. She held her forehead with one of her hands. Red still seemed confused as he looked at them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You still don't get it, Red? Then let me explain," she stated, "Basically, what she is hinting at is that it wasn't a vent kill. If that were truly the case, then that also could apply to what happened to White, meaning that you are the most likely person to do it."</p>
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<p>"Ding," Pink stated, "He got it right. Well done, Black. I really do admire your deductive reasoning. I wouldn't be surprised if you really were a Detective in the outside world while using the ploy of being an Impostor to throw us off."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red stammered, "T...T...Then Pink walked down there from Weapons, went to Communications, killed Blue, returned from where they came, and caused the blackout! That's what happened! Look, guys, I'm not really a killer! Come on!"</p>
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<p>"Red," stated Black, "It's over. Now it is just your word vs. theirs unless you can pull off some type of miracle."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The others were appearing discontent as they gazed at Red. He felt their eyes on him without even having to look. Suddenly, the visual of being ejected into space resurfaced. Even if Brown stated that they did not intend on doing that, he felt that that vision was a premonition. A scene of what was going to happen if he did not convince them. Just when he was about to give up hope, that occurred as Pink stated,</p>
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<p>"Regardless of your accusations, I just can't bring myself to go against you, Red. So I will forgive you yet again and confess to everyone what really happened from the day that Blue died to what happened to White. I mean, we are friends, after all, and you are a valued crewmate despite being a cold-blooded murder. I confess." </p>
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<p>Pink rose their hand. This confused everyone, especially Red. The situation went from Red being accused to Pink taking the blame. Red had no idea what was going on anymore. He knew that the others were caught off guard as well.</p>
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<p>“So, you are surrendering yourself then?” asked Black. She began to walk towards Pink. Pink held out a hand in a stopping gesture,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Not exactly. You see, in the outside world, I am a counselor, so I must care for those around me."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What the f*** are you talking about?” growled Brown, “You just admitted to being the culprit! There is no weaseling your way out of this one!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brown still sounded worn out. Pink gave a simple nod to Brown. The suspected crewmate stood up and walked a little distance away from the table. The others were anxious and knew not to get too close as this person may have killed two people already. Pink turned their back on them and stated,</p>
<p>
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<p>"I noticed some odd behavior back then. I really didn't want to say or reveal it since, as a counselor, I'm supposed to practice discretion and not tell an outside party a client's assessment."</p>
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<p>“Out with it,” replied Brown. Pink turned to them and nodded,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I acknowledge that a lot has happened, but regardless of the severity, each case requires sensitivity. Red is one hundred percent right. I am a murder.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pink looked at Red, “This is what happened. I went to the Weapons Bay to perform some tasks.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pink sighed and shook their head.</p>
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<p>"As embarrassed as I am to admit it, I have this medical condition that causes me to become lethargic, so at times, I have some difficulty with completing assignments or staying motivated at times."</p>
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<p>Red shook his head and stated, "That's a gotta be a lie."</p>
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<p>Purple has stated from a distance, "Please, Red. Let's hear them out just like we did for you."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Brown nodded, still debilitated as they stated, "Please, Red."</p>
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<p>There still was a hint of malice in Brown's voice, although it seemed to have softened. Brown was so set on keeping Red isolated, but from Red's perspective, Brown probably is doubting themself. Red knew that he didn't have a choice but to listen, so he gave the nod.</p>
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<p>Pink continued, “Thank you,” they said softly, “Despite my condition, I'm grateful that the scientists and government sympathized with me and allowed my participation.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pink looked down, “I need the money for cancer treatment, chemotherapy, and rehabilitation..”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was silence. Some of the others began to look down while feeling bad. Even Cyan, who sided with Red the whole time, was starting to doubt going through with this. Red could just feel the unease until Black has stated, breaking the mood,</p>
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<p>“Really? And you expect me to show you pity? Two people are dead, so you better get back to explaining yourself.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pink nodded and stated meekly, "Okay, after I did my best with the task in the Weapons Bay, I went down to Navigation to peek on Red. He looked disgruntled, so I decided to leave him be. I then went back the way that I came from, to the Cafeteria. The lights went out, and that was it."</p>
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<p>Black shook her head and stated, "So now you're saying that you actually DID go south towards Navigation? Keep in mind that you denied going in that direction previously."</p>
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<p>Pink nodded. Black scoffed, “Tisk tisk tisk. You may have the rest of these idiots wrapped around your finger, but I'm onto your deception!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Please don't be so hard on them," stated Purple, "The situation is sensitive as is."</p>
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<p>Black growled, "You know what, Purple? You're pretty soft for a convict. Also, I don't give a damn about how," Black gave an air quote, "Sensitive it is. Two people are dead, but," she looked over at Red, "I will back off. This is his battle, and so far, he is letting this woman walk all over him. If you haven't noticed, this isn't a confession at all. Rather, she is using her innocence to further shift the blame onto you."</p>
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<p>Red's eyes widened as he gazed at Pink, “B...but I don't understand! She just admitted to the crime!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not quite,” replied Black. She looked at Pink, “Discuss.” Pink complied as they continued,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"When, or maybe even before the blackout happened, Red went down to Communications and murdered Blue." Red began to twist and turned in his bindings. The confusion and anger were getting to him a little too much. Black and Cyan rushed at him and held him in place. It did not stop the struggling man's attempts. Disregarding the bound one, Pink kept speaking,</p>
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<p>“It's okay, Red. I am here for you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"The hell you are!" yelled Red. Pink was taken aback as if struck. The crewmate looked down and stated, "You're not well, Red. Let me help you." Pink clasped their hands together, "Once this is over, you can be admitted into the best mental health facility in the country so that I can assist with your rehabilitation."</p>
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<p>"What do you mean?" asked Brown. Pink replied, "Red killed Blue and forgot about it. This talk about monsters and biomechanical weapons." Pink shook their head, "Red is using it as a coping mechanism to escape from reality. He killed Blue and White while the guilt of his actions is eating him up. The coping includes pinning the blame on me. He can't face what's real and own up to what he has happened." </p>
<p>
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<p>“Stop,” stated Red. Pink kept talking,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"He can't face the truth. The truth that it could only be himself."</p>
<p>
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<p>“Stop!” yelled Red. For some strange reason, the young man was having a visual of himself chopping Blue in half. In this vision, Red carried a sword. A little later, it was White this time. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I...did it?" Red has stated. Pink nodded, "That monster that you saw when you were alone with White. It was a projection that your mind created to cope with the actions that you committed. You are that same beast, Red, and deep down, you know this."</p>
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<p>Pink looked down, “I'm sorry.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The consoling crewmate then turned to Black and stated, "These strange occurrences. The doors jamming, the lights going out, the malfunctioning reactor, I'm afraid that they are byproducts of faulty equipment."</p>
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<p>Pink then pointed at Black, "As a helping profession, I take full responsibility for all of this. I allowed things to escalate to this point, so if you want to lock me up in the airlock, then you're more than welcome to. While I can't excuse myself for allowing Red's deteriorating mental health to take away two lives, I also can't forgive you, Black. You gave him false hope. That perhaps, there was something else causing the deaths and strange happenings."</p>
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<p>Pink shook their head in disdain, "But the only thing that you have been doing was enabling his psychosis, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Indeed, there is a monster among us, but it could only be a mentally unstable human being."</p>
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<p>Red was still under a lot of confusion as Pink gazed at him. He muttered, “Wow....I...”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pink nodded at Red, "It's okay, Red, it's okay. Those fits of anger that you had after we fixed the reactor, it's fine. I know that you don't have any control over your actions." </p>
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<p>The crewmate turned to the rest of them and stated, "So yes, I committed the crime. Even though I technically didn't do it, me being the culprit is the only reality that Red can accept since it is a coping mechanism. For his sake and mental well-being, I will take the blame."</p>
<p>
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<p>“Wow,” stated Cyan, “That is so nice of you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah,” replied Purple.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red was still in shock, “I...I...I....I....”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pink stated, “It's okay. It's okay.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red continued to stammer, "I...I...I can't believe how desperate you are to pin this on me!" he yelled as he laughed at Pink. This caught the others off guard. Red was using his talent in acting.</p>
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<p>"If you are this desperate, then that must mean that you have nowhere to run!" </p>
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<p>If he could, Red would have pointed at his adversary again.</p>
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<p>"Hey Black," asked Red, "Is that machine ready? You know? The one that scans a person's humanity? Shouldn't the cooldown have expired by now? It has been an hour, yes?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black looked down at Red and nodded, "For a moment, I even almost bought that act. Yeah, it should be. Isn't that right, Cyan?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cyan was confused at first. Black repeated, “The scanning machine is ready. Isn't that right, Cyan?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cyan nodded, “Oh...Y...yeah. It's ready.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What is this about?” asked Brown, arms crossed, “Are we really going with that angle again?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red nodded, “Yeah. I think Pink should get scanned.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pink staggered back after hearing that. Black caught it from the glimpse of their eye, "Pink, you did say that there isn't a monster on the ship, and it was just a psychotic human, right? Then let's head over to the Medical Bay and do the med scan. It can only work on one or two people every so often, but there should be enough juice to get you tested."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Purple kept observing in silence. Pink remained in place, while Brown has stated, "Are you serious? Come on, Pink! Please do this for me so that we can debunk this conspiracy theory!"</p>
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<p>Pink still remained stationary, their hand holding their chest. Black and Cyan stood up and motioned to the corridor that leads to the Medbay. </p>
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<p>"It's a good thing that Cyan kept quiet about this," Black stated, "Otherwise, you probably would have destroyed it."</p>
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<p>They were quiet for a moment. Pink was still until they asked, "Is that machine really fixed?"</p>
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<p>Brown hissed, “For the love of God, yes! Get your ass in there and perform the scan!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pink sighed, "I guess it can't be helped, then."</p>
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<p>Rather than head in the way presented to them, Pink sat back down in their seat. The others steered clear of this one. Even Black rushed over to Red, undid his bindings, and allowed him to keep a safe distance. Purple got up and appeared to be on guard. Pink held out a hand. Slowly, it shifted into a blade. Everyone else seemed to be awestruck. Red remembered this all too well as he recalled the silhouette. The other arm did the exact same, accompanied by the sound. Brown got up and rushed to where the others were.</p>
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<p>“Red,” Brown stated, “Are we cool?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red gave a slow nod as he kept looking at Pink, "Yeah."</p>
<p><br/>                                                                           </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Episode 3, Act 4 (A Bleak Confession)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So," stated Pink, "I guess I can tell you all the truth then. Yes, I am one of those things. And do you know what's funny?" </p><p> </p><p>Pink shrugged with their sickled arms, "I knew that the machine in the Medbay was broken. And even so, even if I refused to get inspected, I would have dug my own grave."</p><p> </p><p>Red looked at Black and Cyan, confused. He remembered the two saying that the scanner was up and operational, but he realized that that had to be a lie. Red recalled Black telling Cyan to not inform anyone that it was out of commission. Red would imagine that Black told her cohort that if the machine's status were brought up in a meeting, notify everyone that it was on cooldown. </p><p> </p><p>The two nodded at Red, hinting that the testimony was fabricated and the machine was still wholly inoperable. Initially, Red was going to complain but realized that Black's action was a security measure to corner the culprit. If Red knew the truth, then he would have given up and stopped pursuing Pink. Red pointed at the Imposter,</p><p> </p><p>"You killed Blue and White! There is no denying that! Confess everything!"</p><p> </p><p>Pink chuckled. As the Imposter spoke in a mischievous tone, it moved its bladed arms as if it were just a normal hand. </p><p> </p><p>"Well, technically, White was your first casualty."</p><p> </p><p>"Huh?!" stated Purple, "What do you mean?! Blue is dead too!"</p><p> </p><p>Pink gazed at Purple, "Yeah, while that may be true, there was more to Blue than you think. You see, this whole time, Blue was an Impostor too."</p><p> </p><p>"What?! You're lying!" yelled Red, "That's impossible! I was with Blue the whole time! Even if they weren't who they said they were, there was no way that Blue was the same as you! He wasn't a monster that killed people, but a human being that had a heart!"</p><p> </p><p>Pink laughed at Red. As the creature talked, their voice sounded more distorted as time passed, </p><p> </p><p>"Monster, you say?" Pink giggled, "Since I am biomechanical, I technically would be considered as what do you call it?" Pink paused as they waited for the appropriate word, "Some type of android or cyborg, I guess."</p><p> </p><p>Red growled, "It doesn't matter to me what you are! You are still a monster in our eyes!"</p><p> </p><p>The others nodded their approval as Pink has stated,</p><p> </p><p>"You amuse me, kid. I guess when it comes to people, living a lie can be far more comforting than facing the ugly truth. As I said before, Blue was an Impostor, just-like-me!"</p><p> </p><p>Pink pointed a bladed arm at themself after that declaration.</p><p>
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</p><p>"That doesn't make any sense!" yelled Purple, "If Blue was one of your kind, then why did you kill them?!"</p><p> </p><p>Pink stood up and paced back and forth. The others did not remove eye contact with this creature.</p><p> </p><p>"You may find this hard to believe," the culprit has stated. Their tone was still mischievous, and Black could pick on it. </p><p> </p><p>"But I haven't murdered anyone since I've been here. Red was right with his deductive reasoning. He was a little lacking in confidence, but he was onto something at least, even if he had no proof in the end. I went down to Communications on foot. However, I didn't murder Blue."</p><p> </p><p>Red narrowed his eyes and stated, completely aggravated, "Then what happened? You two just talked casually and roamed the hallways together like this?" Red began to pace in the area, "Then later he up and said," Red stopped moving as he mimicked what Blue might have done, "Hey Pink, buddy, I'm feeling a little depressed. I don't know if it is too much for me to ask, but can you do me a solid?"</p><p> </p><p>Red crossed his arms, turned around, and acted the scene of Pink being the listener,</p><p> </p><p>"Sure, Blue, what is it, bro?"</p><p> </p><p>Red turned back around, looked down at the ground, and stated awkwardly, "Can you kill me, please? Yeah, I know. I know. We are crewmates and all, times are stressful, and I understand that it would be a huge inconvenience with you having to cover it up later on. Still, I would appreciate it very much if you did." </p><p> </p><p>Red pointed to the side as he continued his act. </p><p> </p><p>"Let's go that way, inside of the Communications room, so that nobody can see it since this is a personal matter and would cause too much ruckus out in the open."</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Red scoffed and stopped pretending, finding it all incredulous. Pink was silent as they gazed at the actor. The others awaited a reply, finding this somewhat absurd, but there was no response. As the seconds passed, the remaining crew looked at each other, not wanting to believe that Red's interpretation may have been the actual truth. </p><p> </p><p>Cyan broke the silence as they gasped, "Oh my God! Are you serious?! Please don't tell me that that is truly how..."</p><p> </p><p>Pink nodded, surprised that it was figured out, "Wow, Red. I know that you were, like, sarcastic, but in a way, that is really what happened."</p><p> </p><p>The others were astounded, except for Black, as they stared at each other in disbelief as Pink spoke,</p><p> </p><p>"And yes," affirmed the accused, "We talked it over in the hallway like adults when nobody was around, then moved into Communications, and I complied with the request. That is really how it went.  So in a sense, Blue's death was not a murder, rather, an assisted suicide."</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>On the day of Blue's death, Pink observed Red.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> That one would make the perfect meal, </em>
</p><p> </p><p>the creature thought to itself as it gazed at the lone volunteer while licking its lips. The crewmate was busy doing a task and appeared to be oblivious of his surroundings.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> All it would take is one carefully timed strike. I wonder how Red's intestines taste?  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The being could hear the crewmate's heartbeat as Pink was yearning for food. It had been three days ever since the bodily and mental changes happened, and the hunger was becoming more and more unbearable as time passed. Pink knew that it had to feed today to maintain composure, at least. Unfortunately for the sneaky one, Red was the only person that was alone out here. The others were paired up or not on the deck. The Imposter visualized Red as an expensive dish. His meat being served on a platter with the bone sticking out, a glass of blood on the side, and his eyeballs as appetizers on a kabob stick. The thought, the smell, the sensations, accompanied by the beating heart, Pink could barely hold back.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh my God, </em>
</p><p> </p><p>thought the monster, <em> I can't take it anymore. I must feed on him right now! </em></p><p> </p><p>The Imposter was about to rush out of hiding, but what stopped it was a bond. It knew that it needed to stop creeping around. It made a promise with Blue. If Pink were to act on instinct, the others wouldn't take long to suspect it of murder. Pink did recall telling Purple and Black that it was doing tasks in the Weapons Bay. For some reason, it would almost seem as if Black was far more aware of the situation than the others as that one remained in the Cafeteria all day, observing everyone. Earlier, Pink had attempted to pry some information from them. But, that crewmate was very tight-lipped and only said what was necessary. Pink was aware that working on these tasks was the worst thing that could be done, as completing them would give everyone a chance to escape. Also, Pink was having too much fun pretending to be their friend, feigning care, and building them up as a team. From its perspective, this only brought more flavor to the meat so that it could be savored and enjoyed once Pink gained the chance to feed and devour as it looked at Red longingly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No,  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Pink thought,</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Blue told me that Red was their prey. I will honor that request and allow Blue to kill Red as they kept on demanding and insisting on being the one to do it. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>The story was interrupted as Red yelled, "You're a goddamn liar! Blue would NEVER do that to me!"</p><p> </p><p>Pink chuckled mischievously, "But that is the actual truth that you were fighting to expose. You wanted so many answers. You wanted a good reason. You wanted atonement. And you wanted peace in the end. I guess this type of ending and backstory is not what you expected, eh? Tisk tisk tisk. Sometimes you can't get everything that you want, kid."</p><p> </p><p>Red pointed at Pink, "But, Blue was..."</p><p> </p><p>The monster shook its head in shame. Red gritted his teeth underneath the mask. </p><p> </p><p>"Red," stated Cyan from nearby. The crewmate had a hand placed on his shoulder. He sighed and decided to just allow Pink to continue.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Pink left the corner of Navigation and headed straight for Communications. It was there where Blue was going to be met up with. Upon arriving, as expected, Blue was pacing back and forth, anxiously. Pink suddenly began to feel sympathy for its kin. If Blue was acting this way and willing to agree to meet up, it had to be pressing. The others were oblivious, but Pink knew full well what was going on. Blue and Pink were the same species. The difference between the two was that Pink embraced what it became. In contrast, Blue became even more insecure after becoming a monster.</p><p> </p><p>"Blue," Pink muttered, "It's time to accept that we aren't human anymore. At one time, we were just crewmates that volunteered for an experiment. The next moment, it was as if we woke up as different entities. New thoughts, desires, aspirations, and most importantly," Pink has stated somewhat sensually, "Taste! Taste for human flesh!"</p><p> </p><p>That last bit caused Blue to cringe. Blue had been clutching its chest. Pink could tell that Blue was holding back from its true nature far more than it should. After all, it has been six days for Blue as Blue was an Imposter first. Pink placed a hand on Blue's shoulder as it whispered, "Red is in Navigation, and I doubt that the others would suspect anything. The laptop that he is working on seems to have malfunctioned. The files won't upload anytime soon. All you gotta do is go there, get a nice big bite, backtrack to the Engine room, and act as if nothing happened until someone finds the body."</p><p> </p><p>Blue looked down.</p><p> </p><p>"Come on," goaded Pink, "the meat does not get any tastier. Red thinks that you're his best friend in the whole wide world. You lucked out with getting someone that naive."</p><p> </p><p>"I can't do it," replied Blue, "the lies, the deception, this," Blue looked at their stomach, "hunger, I can't take it."</p><p> </p><p>"What will happen then? Are you going to starve to death?" asked Pink, "You need to eat to live, and we have six people that we can feed off of. The plan is to massacre this place, then escape."</p><p> </p><p>Blue groaned, "I know, but I like Red. He is a good guy, and I feel as though I made a good friend."</p><p> </p><p>"Red is a friend?!" laughed Pink, "He only knows the fake you! If he knew that you lied about being his best friend, that you are a cannibalistic monster, would that bond still hold?"</p><p> </p><p>Blue remained silent as they kept starring at the floor. </p><p> </p><p>"Thought so," stated Pink, "If you don't kill Red, then I inevitably will, but it will happen at a much later date. It was hard for me to resist killing him when I passed Navigation. Unfortunately, if I go back there and exterminate him now, they would suspect me later on, especially since I lied about being in the Weapons Bay. I'm taking a huge risk coming down here as Purple and Black could just head in that direction to check on me."</p><p> </p><p>"I have a proposition for you," stated Blue. They gazed at Pink, "How about you kill me instead," the insecure one affirmed, "If you do that, then could you at least back off of Red?"</p><p> </p><p>Pink mulled over the deal, but in the end, it shook its head no, "You know that I can't do that. Eventually, I will get to him. However, if you still decide to sacrifice yourself to me, then you won't have to worry about me hurting anyone for a few days at least. As I wouldn't be hungry anymore and powerless. Don't know if I can feed off of your flesh, though, but it's worth a try."</p><p> </p><p>Blue sighed, "I wish that Red could just be spared completely, not for just a moment. I will admit that I am not cut out for...this life, so there is no going back for me. Even if my death gives Red a chance to overcome this ordeal, I will allow you to kill me. So go ahead."</p><p> </p><p>Pink nodded. The two went inside the Communications room. Inside, Pink began to transform and honor Blue's wish.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Pink kept pacing around as it spoke. It gradually grew a few more inches as it brandished its bladed arms. The crew took a few more steps back as they observed and listened. Some of them weren't sure whether they should attack this thing or retreat.</p><p> </p><p>"Blue had a good heart, even if it was the most disgusting thing that I had ever tasted," Pink has stated, "Blue's good nature was what got them killed in the end. Instead of feeding off of Red, Blue sacrificed themself. It's a shame. Despite everything, I still can't hold back my hunger. I did try to honor their wish by sparing Red up to the very end at least, but."</p><p> </p><p>Pink stopped moving as it looked down, "I failed, and I'm sorry for that. Besides, I'm hungry again, and I had my eyes on Red for the longest, so I have to treat myself early." </p><p> </p><p>Pink turned to them and stated, "This is between him and me. I don't care about what happens with the rest of you, so I will ask this as kindly as possible. Please step away from Red and allow me to feed on his innards. I'm hungry, as it has been three days for me."</p><p> </p><p>"Like hell we are, we aren't going to allow that!" yelled Brown. Their hand was in their pocket. For the first time, Brown was defending Red as the crewmate continued to speak,</p><p> </p><p>"You will have to get through us first!" </p><p> </p><p>The others nodded in agreement.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah!" exclaimed Purple, "We won't let you take Red! It is five against one!"</p><p> </p><p>Purple pointed at Pink, "You lose, fiend!"</p><p> </p><p>"A convict has the right to call ME a friend?!" Pink laughed and shook its head, "I guess it doesn't matter, as you have a reactor to stop. How can you be of any help when you all have to split up again? Oh yeah, by the way, but is it me, or is the oxygen starting to deplete?"</p><p> </p><p>"What the f*** are you talking about?!" yelled Brown, "We took care of that problem a few days ago, and..."</p><p> </p><p>Before they could finish, alarms blared out throughout the facility.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Reactor Meltdown! Oxygen Levels Depleting! Reactor Meltdown! Oxygen Levels Depleting! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The voice prompts were accompanied by sirens, causing the others to panic.</p><p> </p><p>Without having any time to waste, Brown has yelled, "Okay, two of us need to stop the reactors while the other two have to stop the oxygen from leaking out! Red, that thing only wants you, so please stay alive until we resolve these matters!"</p><p> </p><p>With reluctance, the others started to agree as they had no choice but to bring stability back to the facility first. It was either assist Red at the cost of their lives. Or split up, rectify the issues, and then return to Red while hoping that he still was in one piece.</p><p> </p><p>Black rushed off to stop the reactor from exploding. Cyan, after fidgeting, stated to Red, "I'm sorry, Red! Please don't die on us!"</p><p> </p><p>The apologetic crewmate rushed off. It was just Purple and Brown. Pink stood there, patiently as it has stated,</p><p> </p><p>"Go ahead, boys. Take your time. It isn't like I need to breathe to survive here, and my body is durable enough to survive a reactor explosion. Go on and wait. We have all day."</p><p> </p><p>Brown grumbled, "Damnit!" </p><p> </p><p>They then turned to Red, "I owe you an apology for giving you so much heat, Red. Time is of the essence, and we don't have a choice but to leave you. So, you better survive this ordeal!"</p><p> </p><p>Brown rushed off in the direction of O2, leaving Purple. The convicted crewmate has stated, "Red, you're a tough guy. When we get out of this, I'm going to make you the best meal of all time. It's my treat. Before I got arrested, I used to be a renowned chef. Don't let this bully get the best of you."</p><p> </p><p>The crewmate pointed to Pink, who replied by stating, "Ah...that's so sweet. See? Aren't you grateful to me? In the end, I did help us get closer since I am a major team player that is soooooooo considerate."</p><p> </p><p>Purple scoffed at Pink and rushed off. Once the rest of the crew were preoccupied, all of the doors in the Cafeteria closed. Pink began to open its mouth to reveal sharp teeth as drool poured down its mouth. It said in a discombobulated tone.</p><p> </p><p>"You have nowhere to run, my prey!"</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>                                                                                      </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Episode 3, Act 5 (Dead By Daylight)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Red ran in circles. It was the only thing that he could do in this situation. He wasn't sure how much time had passed. The only thing that he was trying to do was survive this ordeal. Alarms blared, and even though it has only been a couple minutes, it almost felt like an eternity ever since the doors locked him in. Even longer when he last talked to his crewmates and recalled what they were up to. It was something about stopping the reactors from blowing up and preventing some type of oxygen leakage. These things became increasingly trivial after every step as he kept running loops around the table. Every now and then, the crewmate would backtrack and rotate in the opposite direction. What was ever-changing was this thing's behavior. It could jump over the table and intercept Red, but it toyed with him for some reason. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Appealing to it didn't work. Bargains were entirely out of the question as this thing had a one-track mind. It was hungry. It may have gone to the point in which reason did not exist anymore. There was no semblance of what used to be human left. All that remained was was a primal urge to get its prey. The creature then opened its mouth as its tongue darted out at Red swiftly. Red jumped, flipped, and sidestepped the pointed tongue with deft movements that he never knew he had. He understood that if he came in contact with this thing, it would be over. It was beginning to get harder for Red to breathe as each puff was a gasp for air that was continually depleted. The creature finally lunged over the table, causing Red to back away and rush towards one of the doors. If there was anything that he could use to defend himself, then he would. Even if it was something like a pallet that he could drop on this creature's head. Unfortunately for him, the chairs were bolted to the ground, so all he could do was remain on the run.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The alarms stopped blaring as the standard lighting returned to the facility. This did not change Red's circumstances as the door was still bolted shut.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Black and Cyan must have fixed the Reactor</em>, </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red thought to himself as the creature lunged in front of him. He could feel the drool trickle down on him as the monster that was Pink raised its clawed arms and slashed down in one swift movement at Red. The crewmate rolled out of the way and headed towards his bunker door. He pounded on it, but the door was locked. He panted as he began to feel exhausted. It was easier to breathe all of a sudden, but fatigue was showing. All that was left were the doors, but it would seem as though this creature had complete control over them. On the far right side of the Cafeteria, Red has heard a pounding sound coming from the other side of the entrance as one of the crewmates yelled,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"We took care of the leakage! Hang in there, Red! We will find a way in!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>On the left door where the Reactor was located, no words were exchanged. Instead, the others on the opposite end were trying to break in. The banging sounds almost ruined Red's balance as he stumbled and nearly fell. The creature attempted to jump on top of him. Red rolled out of the way again, but it was short-lived as Pink swiftly pulled Red back in with its claw. The creature looked down at Red, ravenous. His heart was beating very fast as this may very well be it. The creature raised its arm, and just before it could swing down and deliver the killing blow, it was knocked back and retrained.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Tie it up!" yelled one of the crewmates, "Get its arms and legs!" </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The one that was giving directions was Brown, while Black held the Impostor in a tight grip. Purple came into the room with a rope as they began to tie Pink from head to toe. Cyan, although reluctant, assisted with holding down the creature. After several minutes, Pink was wholly restrained and motionless. It attempted to break free, but without wasting any time, Black's grip tightened as she looked at the others, </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Let's take it to the airlock!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They all agreed as Red assisted them. Once they got into the designated location, they chucked the creature into the room. The door slammed shut on it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Oh my God," breathed Red, "What do we do with it? Is it really safe to just leave it here? It could break out and..."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Next to Red was a button. Black already knew what to do. Black rushed over to the red button and punched it. The door on the other side of the station that leads out into space opened.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Pink was ejected.</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The others were exhausted as they collapsed to the ground, panting. "Okay," stated Red, "I guess that answers that."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black did not appear done as she went over to the Weapons Bay. Red followed to calm her down but wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Black went to one of the consoles and began to press buttons. It was one of the machines that were used to destroy incoming asteroids. Red observed from a safe distance as Black used the console to shoot and blast away at Pink's body until no trace of the Impostor left.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Now it is finally over," stated Black. Rather than check to see if Red took any damages from his skirmish, Black, with heavy steps, walked away towards Cafeteria. She opened her bunker door and retired to her room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Since he was alone, Red gazed at the computer screen. There were no targets in sight. He wasn't sure if what Black did was a good idea as the scientists may have wanted that thing alive. However, it was the safest. The crewmate backtracked to everyone. It would seem as if the crew was ready to call it a night based on how they appeared. They still panted and weaved while sitting on the ground. He decided to join them as he plopped down. From his standpoint, it finally was over. All that was left to do was recuperate and complete their tasks until HQ picked them up. He felt relieved and was not sure how long it has been since he experienced this feeling. Even if it had been only a few days, they were the longest ones that he ever experienced.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>                                                                        </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Episode 4, Act 1 (Are We Really Safe?)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Day 4</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Red should have felt safe. It had been four days now, ever since Pink attempted to devour his flesh. If there were another one of those things, it would have fed by now, and Brown just proved it. The remaining crew had not been acting too suspiciously, and they weren't having any issues with completing tasks. Since only half of the team remained, they had to work extra hard to stick to the pace. Red knew that the completion rate wasn't consistent since some crewmates were more cooperative than others. Ever since Black ejected Pink into outer space and shot up the body with the lasers, she had not left her bunker based on his knowledge.</p><p> </p><p>Red looked over at the door. It remained closed. If Black did ever leave, it was when everyone else was asleep. During the second day, Red sat in the Cafeteria all night. That door never opened once. The rest of the crew seemed calm about the situation, saying that Black tended to be a loner. However, Red could not shake off this feeling as he visualized Black's lower torso with the bone sticking out behind that door. His heart raced, and there was nothing that he could do.</p><p> </p><p>"Perhaps you are just overly paranoid," stated one of them from nearby. Red looked at the crewmate. It was Brown, the one that initially went against him during the beginning. Brown had become a lot friendlier to Red since then. Red sighed and did not give a response while observing the door. Brown sat down at the table. There were no angry demands to get to work, and there were no crossed arms or anything else of that nature.</p><p> </p><p>"Come on," stated Brown, "Do you want a creep like that roaming the station? We are better off without him. Besides, we are on day four now. If something else were to happen, it would have befallen."</p><p> </p><p>"I know, but remember what Pink said about Blue? He did not eat in six days, so we still could be in danger. If there is another creature, then it knows that it can't just go by the three-day grace period anymore."</p><p> </p><p>Brown went silent. Typically, Brown would tell Red that they were acting dumb, but considering what happened between Red and Pink, it made sense that Red was still a little anxious. After all, Red was chased out here in this very room just moments ago. The unexpected happened. Black's door opened, causing the two crewmates to look in that direction.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Three days ago, Red had awoken from his sleep. There were no ghosts this time, and there was no black void out in the distance. This may have been the end. </p><p> </p><p>No more mysteries, no more crimes, and no more suspicions. </p><p> </p><p>All that was left was to complete tasks, then go home. And yet, Red was not sure if this was alright, considering the sacrifices to get to this point. He could not go on, as if nothing occurred, without thinking about what happened to Blue, White, and Pink. Randall got out of his bed, bathed himself, then put on his Red suit. It was time to go out onto the station with no worries. His door opened, and Red stepped outside at the time which the crew agreed to meet up. It almost would seem that he was the last person to emerge as he observed the scenery. It felt so different and empty compared to days ago. There was Brown, Cyan, and Purple. The crew were silent and appeared to feel the same way as Red while they groaned to themselves and looked down. All that was left was Black, who still didn't leave her bunker. The crew waited and waited. However, Black still remained absent. Red felt uneasy until Cyan has stated, </p><p> </p><p>"Don't worry. I'd imagine that Black is still alive. I was the first one outside of the bunker. I spot-checked every location, and Black was nowhere in sight. I'd imagine that they probably aren't feeling well or may have more pressing matters at hand."</p><p> </p><p>Red nodded. Cyan looked down,</p><p> </p><p>"Just like with Blue, I couldn't find White's body. It just disappeared, and it gets worse there."</p><p> </p><p>The others whimpered, somewhat despaired as Cyan continued to speak. They did not want to hear how things could possibly be worse, considering that they just survived a troublesome trial yesterday.</p><p> </p><p>"T...t...the machine t...t...that is used to scan us is b..broken beyond r...repair. I...I guess that someone ripped the wires out when we were sleeping."</p><p> </p><p>Red's eyes bulged while the others were taken aback. Immediately, Purple turned around, opened their bunker door, and retired to their room for the day. Brown rushed at the door and banged it with their first while yelling,</p><p> </p><p>"Hey! Purple! Get back here! Please!"</p><p> </p><p>Regardless of the appeals, the door remained shut. Cyan looked down while Red has stated, "Is that it?"</p><p> </p><p>Cyan shook their head and said, "Check out the placards of White and Pink."</p><p> </p><p>Red complied. He was able to see their pictures on each assigned bunker. They were all crossed out with a big crimson X. He sighed, knowing that he had to be the strong one in this circumstance. Especially since two of the survivors aren't present and accounted for.</p><p> </p><p>"If there are another one of those monsters out here, then we are safe for three more days at least. I'm not sure what Black is up to, and Purple is too scared to come out, so we need to hustle on these tasks. I was hoping that this would be an easy day, but nothing will change unless we get some work done. So let's get to it."</p><p> </p><p>The others nodded as they split up to do their work.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Day 2</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Randall got up out of his bed. Progress was a little slow, and it was starting to make him feel nervous. He wanted to get off of this station. However, that was determined by how cooperative everyone else was. So far, it wasn't looking too good as three of them were dead while two remained in their bunkers.</p><p> </p><p><em> Perhaps today will be different </em>, thought the young man as he got himself cleaned and put on his suit.</p><p> </p><p>Once he was outside, surprisingly, Purple was with them, with their head low. Black still appeared to be holed up in her room. Red approached the bunker and was about to knock, but Brown stared at Red and slowly shook their head.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't bother, kid. I tried it earlier. I'm not sure what's going on in there, but Black ain't coming out."</p><p> </p><p>Red starred at Brown in disbelief as this was going to be two days in a row. He was about to protest, but again, Brown shook their head,</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not going to sugar coat it, boy. We don't know how he's doing, and there is nothing we can do as we have no access to other peoples' bunkers."</p><p> </p><p>Red drooped his hand as he was about to bang on the door, feeling defeated. He glanced at Purple, who stated, "I'm sorry about yesterday. I got scared."</p><p> </p><p>"Well, then," stated Brown, "Just work extra hard today to make up for taking the day off."</p><p> </p><p>Purple nodded. The crew continued with their business. Once the team was finished for the day, Red waited in the Cafeteria rather than retire in his bunker. He starred directly at Black's door, waiting for her to emerge. He could not just let this go as the clock kept ticking away. The seconds turned into minutes, and the minutes turned into hours until Red gave up. Nobody emerged from that direction all night. Red decided that it was best to get whatever little sleep he could as he retired into his room.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>
  <strike> Death 3 </strike>
</p><p>Day 3</p><p> </p><p>Red's heart pounded. Previously, during every third day, a murder would happen as he visualized his crewmates severed bodies with the bone sticking out. He didn't want to get up out of bed as he stared up at the ceiling in his bunker. He was not able to sleep at all last night as his eyes were bloodshot. The scene of White's murder kept replaying in his psyche repeatedly, as well as those words that the creature spoke.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ah...that hit the spot. See you in the Cafeteria, Red. I will be waiting in the usual place. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Red then recalled being chased in circles in that very same location by Pink. He still could feel the warm breath of that monster, as well as the drool that trickled down. Initially, Red was infuriated that Purple retired to their bunker for the day. Still, it was the safest place to be. Randall looked over towards the door. On the other side, the young man could visualize a monster just waiting out there for him to emerge. He wouldn't be surprised if it were eager to succeed where Pink failed and was waiting for the perfect moment to attack.</p><p> </p><p><em> I guess I don't have to come out of here </em> , Randall thought to himself. <em> I can stay here where I am nice and safe. If I'm thirsty, I could drink the water from the faucet. If I'm hungry, I have some leftovers on the plate. </em></p><p> </p><p>Randall began to close his eyes and was about to drift off to sleep until a banging sound stopped him. It came from the door as he remembered Pink attempting to break through the airlock entrance after she was contained. Red hastily got out of his bed and remained on guard. It certainly was plausible that this thing could break in if he weren't willing to come out. The pounding wouldn't stop as his heart pulsated through his chest. What calmed him down was a voice on the other side.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey! Red! It's me, Brown! Quit being a punk and get the hell out! The rest of us are waiting for you!"</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah! Please, Red! It's safe! We promise!" said another one of them.</p><p> </p><p>The banging stopped as Red began to regain his composure. It certainly did not seem to be an act as the young man recalled that these things, when after transformed, spoke in a distorted voice. There was no trace of that.</p><p> </p><p>After a moment, he moved away from his bed, put on his suit, and opened the door. Red sighed in relief, seeing Brown, with their arms crossed while glaring at him. Red looked down at the crewmate's limbs and noted that they weren't bladed. There was no exchange of words. The others, besides Black, were present as well. The air was heavy, and Red could tell that the rest felt as tense as ever, including Brown to some extent.</p><p> </p><p>"We are going to do things a little differently today, Red."</p><p> </p><p>It was Cyan that spoke. Red focused their attention on the speaker.</p><p> </p><p>"We will stick together all day until it is night. We understand that this isn't efficient in terms of completing tasks, but it's best this way."</p><p> </p><p>Red looked at the others. Brown nodded, and Purple remained silent while gazing down. Red glanced over at Black's bunker. It was just like the previous days. The crewmate was still nowhere to be seen. Initially, Red was going to protest against this plan. He felt that if they had to take these measures, they were best off just preparing food and retiring in their bunkers for the day. As if reading his mind, Brown slowly shook their head as they stated,</p><p> </p><p>"Despite everything, I doubt that there are another one of those things. And this strategy is going to prove just that. I understand that it is risky to put us all together, but if we believe the papers that Black presented, then the monster must feed during this day. Otherwise, it would go crazy."</p><p> </p><p>"But Blue didn't eat for six," replied Red.</p><p> </p><p>Brown shook their head, "That testimony came from Pink. It may have just been a way for them to put us in a depressed state. Who knows? Maybe that makes the" Brown gave an air quote, "Meat tastes better. We don't even know if what they said was true. Blue could have been innocent, just like the rest of us, and was at the wrong place at the wrong time."</p><p> </p><p>Red could not dispute as he stated reflectively, "I see, so from your standpoint, there was only one culprit, that being Pink. And Pink killed Blue and White."</p><p> </p><p>Brown nodded as Red continued to discuss,</p><p> </p><p>"And to prove that it could have only been Pink, we are going to all stick together and bait out any possible monsters?"</p><p> </p><p>Again, Brown nodded, "Bingo. Also, be sure to observe each other for suspicious behavior." </p><p> </p><p>They all complied as they followed through with the plan. Although the team wasn't very successful at completing many tasks, there were no incidents. The crew retired to their bunkers and called it a night.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Day 4 </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>From the bunker emerged Black. Red was relieved while Brown was shocked. They both knew that when Black had something to share, it meant no good. Rather than speak right away, Black walked over to one of the tables in the Cafeteria. On it, there was an Emergency Meeting Button. The two others observed as Black placed her hand on the button and pressed it.</p><p> </p><p>                                                                                     </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Episode 4, Act 2 (An Impostor's Deductions)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Status:</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Alive</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Who: Black, Red, Purple, Cyan, Brown</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Status:</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Dead</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Who: Blue, Pink, White</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh my god," breathed Black, "There are almost only half of us left. This could be bad."</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Black's mind did its work in a question, answer, and picture format. She currently stared off into the mirror that was set up in her room. If her crew witnessed her like this, they probably would institutionalize her as she conversed with her reflection.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Question: Are we safe?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>
    <strong>Answer: Yes, for the time being.</strong>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Question: Why?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Answer: Because we have three days until another killing could happen.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Question: Who or what is going to commit the deed?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Answer: One of those things, of course, what else?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Question: Are you saying that there is another one of them?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Answer: Yes.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Question: How can you be so sure?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Black paused for a moment. She knew that she wasn't just overly paranoid. It wasn't so much at what was revealed tonight that got to her. More so, what wasn't said was even more horrifying. She would imagine that the others were celebrating right now while thinking about various things. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>We got rid of the threat. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No killings will happen again. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Although we suffered one casualty, overall, it was a positive outcome. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>All that we have to do is complete our tasks, and HQ will pick us up. There are no worries. We can just run around the station carefree.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Black knew that it was all illusory, but she didn't want to ruin their fun and just tell them that the situation was even worse than she predicted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Question: You're not answering my inquiry. How can you be so sure that there are another one of those things?</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Black halted her thought as she looked down disdainfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Answer: Because Pink had to feed. Before Pink attacked Red, they said that it has been three days since they ate, meaning that they couldn't have possibly been the one that killed White. It had to have been someone else. Despite being an Impostor, Pink was framed for White's murder, and nobody seemed to take notice.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Question: I see, but aren't you just grasping at straws?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Black shook her head no as she thought,</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I wish that I was, but Pink purposefully remained vague to defend their teammate in their testimony. It then came up with the lie that Blue was an Impostor and mislead everyone into thinking that it was over after their ejection and death.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Question: Assuming that there is another Impostor, what information do you have about them?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Answer: This other is different from Pink, assuming that what Pink said about Blue was false. The living Impostor is the most dangerous. They work independently from Pink. Otherwise, Pink wouldn't have been so vague. Pink was not aware that there was another Impostor until White was killed. Not only did this antagonist genuinely work towards finding Blue's culprit with the rest of us, but they also pinned their crime on Pink. Finally, the culprit helped us with capturing the monster and throwing it in the airlock. That was very ingenious. This Impostor had to be the one that killed White and attempted to frame Red.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Question: Who was it? Who framed Red?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Black paced around in her bunker. She was aware that it could have been any of them. At this point, Black was nearly one hundred percent sure that Red was innocent unless the test results were fabricated. Regardless, for research purposes, she was going to suspect all of them for murder one at a time. Red was in the room where White was murdered. As far as Black knew, Pink's accusation about Red committing the murder and disremembering it still could hold true. It could very well have been a murder which Red committed, forgot, and shifted the blame to Pink as a coping mechanism.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Black shook her head in shame as she looked to the side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>But, Red was tested as human. But still, I can't overlook anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Case 1:</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That's me. I was in the Cafeteria at the time, though nobody could vouch for my innocence as I was alone. If it wasn't Red from within the Security Room, then the murder had to be a vent kill. There was a vent inside of the Cafeteria. However, it is connected to the Oxygen Room. The only vents that are linked to Security are the Medbay and Electrical. I would have to come into contact with the individuals in those rooms. None of them spotted me before the alarm went off. And I wasn't with Red in that location when the body was found.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Case 2:</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red was my partner for the past few days. Assuming that the testing that happened in the Medbay was accurate, he is one hundred percent innocent, unless Pink's testimony held true, that it was a psychological murder. If that were the case, even the tests contain no grain because Red could have somehow used a blade to slice White in half, then discard the body and the murder weapon in the vent. It would be the perfect hiding spot for the sword. Hide the body, then misdirect everyone into thinking that the creature did it. His motive for committing murder could purely be psychological as he had no known reasons and issues with White.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Case 3:</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cyan was in the Medbay at the time. They assisted with the investigation regarding Blue's murder. As requested, Cyan fixed the scanning machine and allowed both myself and Red to use it, confirming our humanity. Even though this is the case, when it was Cyan's turn to scan, the machine </span>
  <em>
    <span>malfunctioned</span>
  </em>
  <span> before they could step foot in. If it were Cyan, they may be one of those things and somehow hacked the device right before their turn. A counter-argument could be that if Cyan really was an Impostor, they wouldn't have even allowed me or Red access. However, it may have been even more suspicious if Cyan declined to help us. Is Cyan an Impostor? Very plausible, but unlikely. Only because Cyan went through the trouble of repairing the machine rather than feigning ignorance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Case 4:</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although deceased, thanks to me, Pink still could have killed White. Pink was in Electrical with Purple. It could have jumped into the vent when Purple wasn't looking and arrived in the Security Room with White and Red. Rather than turn into a monster, Pink could have had a blade and chopped White in half, then dumped the body in the vent along with the weapon. This scenario is similar to Red in regards to it being psychological. Red could have perceived Pink as a monster, while it played out closer to an assassination from Pink's perspective. It is improbable that this happened, as Pink had no reason for doing it in this manner. They logically would have just turned into a monster and done so. If that were the case, then the chase against Red and the transformation would have never happened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Case 5: </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Purple was in Electrical and could have done it. I really don't know too much about this person, except that they are secretive and generally keep to themself. Purple also does not like violence, suspicion, as well as accusations. They are usually soft-spoken, have no issues with expressing their mind, and has a strong sense of justice. It's hard to believe that this individual is a prison inmate participating in this experiment for a chance at parole. So in terms of character, I don't see Purple as being capable of murder by any means. There is that saying, though. That you gotta watch out for the quiet ones. I have seen this far too much in my profession, and even these personality types aren't entirely exempt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Case 6:</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>From my standpoint, Brown is the most suspicious. They were located in the Medbay during the time of the incident. Cyan did mention that there was a moment in which eyes were off of them. Also, Brown was the one that told Red to talk to White in the Security Room. If Brown were the culprit, they knew that they could frame Red since Red already had some heat due to Blue's discussion. Also, until suspicion was brought onto Pink, they insisted on locking Red up. But still...</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I think that is everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span>, thought Black. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It will do for now.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Question: I will ask this again. Who is the most likely to do this?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Answer: That isn't the issue, and even figuring out the most likely does not get us anywhere. It could have been any of the crewmates. The culprit here basically committed a crime in which there are five suspects, and none of them can really be disproven. I'm entirely on my own here. Not even Red can help me, as he still could have done it even if the chances of that are almost zero. Eliminating the monsters doesn't mean that it is over. One of us could be a murderer. If that were the case, then the three-day grace period may have no merit. If I were to attempt to detain Red or anyone else, that would bring suspicion on myself, especially since there is no going back to how things were. I'm best off just playing it safe, observing the rest of them, and being cautious.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Final Question: Are there any commonalities among the crew members?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Black mulled over this for a moment. There was one theme. The theme that everyone does not seem to be as they presented themselves. With Black being a real-world Impostor, Blue lying to Red, Pink being a monster, and even Purple admitting that they were a convict.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>If that really is the case, and we all were chosen for this experiment, that may mean that...</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Black shook her head, </span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No, it's best not to go there, and that may not really apply to Red as he stated that he was just a random college student. The implication that the scientists and government purposefully put us in this situation and are testing to see how we adapt to these happenings is the worst-case scenario. It also may mean that they know what is going on and may not come to help us unless one side wins.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Episode 4, Act 3 (Bringing Everything To The Dark)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Where the hell have you been?" asked Brown. The crewmate starred directly at Black. Since her emergence, Black had not spoken a word to either Red or Brown and just waited patiently at the Cafeteria table. The crew learned to keep a safe distance. However, Brown was not going to put up with it this time. The impatient one quickly got out of their seat, snatched Black by the throat, and lifted her up. Red's eyes bulged as he stood back from the scene and looked at the two. It was a sight to behold. Black did not attempt to fight back, and Brown remained motionless, holding the crewmate, staring. Cyan and Purple entered the Cafeteria, curious about why an Emergency Meeting was called. They stopped in their tracks to the sight in front of them. None of them knew how to respond. Times had been extremely stressful, and on some level, they felt that it was best to work together. This current situation did not bode too well for their attempt at cooperation.</p><p> </p><p>“I will ask this again. Where the hell have you been?”</p><p> </p><p>Brown's tone was flat, and they were serious about not letting things slide. Black began to snicker. Just like before, her snicker turned into a chuckle. The chuckling turned into cackling. The cackling turned into an insane fit of laughter. The observers groaned in disdain while Brown still held Black, unyielding.</p><p> </p><p>"You may find this situation to be funny, but the rest of us have been serious here. We have been working our asses off and took extra safety precautions for these past few days. You, on the other hand, had been holed up this entire time with no explanations."</p><p> </p><p>Brown threw Black aside in one swift movement, causing the crewmate to skid and hit the wall. Rather than check to make sure that Black was okay, Red still remained away. As if it were nothing, Black got up and simply brushed herself.</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>"Good, that serious reaction was what I had hoped for," she stated. </p><p> </p><p>"For a second, I was concerned that I was going to walk into a room full of lower torsos since Thanksgiving was just around the corner. All that would have been needed is a basket of fruit and wine since the meat on the bone would have been supplied."</p><p> </p><p>The others shook their heads in shame, not finding any of that amusing. Red crossed his arms and looked away. He was concerned about Black, but now that she was here and acting this way again. He wasn't sure how to respond as he stated,</p><p> </p><p>“What were you doing? We really were concerned about you. Your lack of presence also put us in more danger than necessary, so please, explain yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>Black turned to Red. The crew still kept their distance away from each other as they conversed, tense as ever.</p><p> </p><p>"I was in my bunker thinking about the situation."</p><p> </p><p>Purple looked down and sighed,” For three days straight?”</p><p> </p><p>Black nodded at them, "Yeah. There were a lot of things that I needed to confirm.  I had to map out how any of us could be the culprit and get away with murder. I inspected the vents when the rest of you were asleep during the night, shortly after we subjugated Pink."</p><p> </p><p>Brown shook their head and pointed at Black, "The only culprit that remains is you. You are guilty of being an overly paranoid man. We made many safety precautions to ensure our well-being. It has been over three days, and there hasn't been a murder, so quit scaring everyone. Just stay out here on the deck and complete your tasks. Don't make this any more complex than it has to be."</p><p> </p><p>Cyan and Purple nodded in agreement. Red still had his reservations as he remembered the scanning machine being broken. If it really were one of them that destroyed it, it may have been Black that Black did it. Her motive would be to convince people that there was still a culprit.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> But does that truly make sense? Why would she go through the trouble of doing that? Perhaps I'm overthinking it. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He mused.</p><p> </p><p>Black shook her head in shame as she looked at Brown, "For a moment, I thought you all were at least competent enough to be left alone for a little while, but I guess I have to babysit, yet again. I figured out why the bodies disappeared after the murders. It's because the suits are set to disintegrate over time if its wearer's heart stops beating. The government doesn't want any foreign agency to take hold of their equipment. Also, there were no murder weapons found in the vents. Overnight, I discovered at 12:00 AM, there was no steam generated inside of them. During this period, I did a thorough examination of the crime scenes. The vents were empty. I guess there is a chance that the culprit retrieved the murder weapon later if it even exists."</p><p> </p><p>Brown appeared to be fuming as Black still kept going on about the possibility of a culprit still being present while the others listened. Cyan, Purple, and Red seemed to be burnt out because, just like in the past, they really wanted this matter to be settled.</p><p> </p><p>"Now I wonder what this is," stated Black. The crewmate held what appeared to be a tablet in her hand. "You were a little sloppy, Brown, grabbing me like that. You let your emotions get the best of you while I snatched this away."</p><p> </p><p>Brown gasped, then rushed at Black, "Hey! You damn pickpocket! Give that back."</p><p> </p><p>Brown attempted to grab Black, but Black jumped out of the way. She snickered softly to herself and whispered, "I knew it. I am with a bunch of crewmates that aren't really who they say they are. That makes things so much more...interesting."</p><p> </p><p>Brown kept attempting to retrieve the tablet, but Black kept on dodging away as if it were nothing. Eventually, the troubled one gave up. Purple looked down, seemingly guilt-ridden. Based on Red's perspective, Purple appeared to be hiding something.</p><p> </p><p>"Check this out, everyone," stated Black. She presented them with the tablet as she held it in front of them to see. Based on Red's perspective, it was a map of the deck. Nothing special. He shrugged his shoulders, not seeing what the big deal was.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>All Brown could do was watch at this point and remain silent. "Black, please stop. I beg you. There is no need to do this!"</p><p> </p><p>Brown got down on their knees and began to beg. This sight was so degrading and out of place from the rest of the crews' perspective.</p><p> </p><p>"Just drop it, please. Don't say what you're going to say, return that device to me, and let's just complete tasks."</p><p> </p><p>Brown's voice became softer as they kept on speaking,</p><p> </p><p>"Please. Please. Please. Plea..."</p><p> </p><p>Brown could not finish. Black did not seem to care as she looked at the screen. </p><p> </p><p>"I wonder what happens when you touch these icons," she stated as she pressed the round button that was under Cafeteria. Immediately, the doors closed as Red and Purple looked in that direction. Fear suddenly began to fill the young man as he recalled the same thing happening when he interacted with Blue during the day of the murder. Cyan also appeared shocked as they have stated in the past that there were issues with the doors. Over time, the doors opened. All eyes shifted towards Brown, who seemed like a deer caught in the headlights as all Brown could do was stay on their knees while looking down.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey, look," they stammered, "I...I can explain."</p><p> </p><p>"Can you?" replied Black as she just tilted her head and gazed at who or whatever that thing on the ground was. She showed no sympathy for the broken crewmate. Black then pushed the icon that was set at Electrical. Just like that, the lights turned off. Red began to panic until Purple stated in the dark, "Calm down, Red, that device that Black has can only sabotage electronics. All we gotta do is go back to Electrical and fix the issue. It's nothing serious."</p><p> </p><p>"So you knew too?" murmured Black. She focused her attention on Purple, "I guess it is a good thing that I called this meeting, eh? So much is coming to light, or perhaps, the dark in this case. Aint's that right, kids?"</p><p> </p><p>Black turned to Red and Cyan, who looked away, not really wanting to be dragged into this. Despite Red feeling relieved that he wasn't a suspect anymore, this situation still felt wrong on so many levels. He gazed down at Brown, who still remained on the ground, motionless and visibly shaken.</p><p> </p><p>Purple sighed and decided to talk in Brown's stead, "Yeah, I knew. It was around the time when Red was being chased around by Pink."</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>A little over four days ago, Purple and Brown had just finished stopping the air leakage in O2. The two rushed back to where Red was in a vain attempt to save his life from that monster. Unfortunately for them, the door was still closed. Purple had paced back and forth as they muttered,</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, no! Red's in trouble! What do we do?! What do we do?!"</p><p> </p><p>The two could hear scuffling happening on the other side.</p><p> </p><p>“We wait,” muttered Brown, “I'm sure that the doors will open on their own very soon. All we gotta do is hope for the best. Red is a tough kid. I'm sure that he won't go down that easily.”</p><p> </p><p>Purple did not seem too convinced, and Brown's conviction was starting to wane as the seconds trickled. Eventually, they heard a banging sound against the door, which was more than enough to stop Brown from being idle. If Purple could, they would be biting their fingernails right now in a nervous fit. The worst-case scenario would be that as soon as the door opened, they were greeted by the sight of Red's lower torso standing with the bone sticking out. And Pink was munching, crunching, and chewing away at the upper half while rubbing their belly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Mmmmmmm! Tasty meat!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Purple, I can trust you, right?” Brown has stated. Purple has nodded at them, “Yeah, bud, why do you ask?”</p><p> </p><p>Brown, from their pocket, pulled out a device. It looked to be some type of tablet. "Can I really trust you?" </p><p> </p><p>Brown asked again as they stared directly at Purple. Purple, showing to be uneasy, again nodded and stated, "It's a life or death situation, Brown. If there is something that you can do, then, please. I won't tell the others, and if this comes up in the future, then I will do what I can to defend you."</p><p> </p><p>"That's all that I needed to hear," they stated as Brown pressed the tablet. The doors opened right away.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>In the present, Purple has stated,</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>"That's what happened. Now I have no idea how Brown came across that thing, but if it wasn't for them, then Red would have been..."</p><p> </p><p>Purple looked down, not wanting to finish that sentence. Cyan's stance softened as they nodded. Red calmed down. The group stood there, in the dark. This conversation had more precedence over being able to see what was directly in front of them. </p><p> </p><p>"If you want to lock me up or something," declared Brown, "Then go ahead, but bear in mind that I have been doing everything that I can in my power to protect you all! I know that having this device makes me look very suspicious, but I swear to God that I am not one of those things! I am just a crewmate, just like the rest of you!"</p><p> </p><p>Black scoffed, not buying it. She shook her head in shame as she peered over at Red and Cyan, "You two, take care of the problem in Electrical, then come right back." </p><p> </p><p>The duo nodded at Black as Black focused attention on Brown and Purple, "Once they return, we have a lot that needs to be discussed. Don't you dare think about running away and hiding."</p><p> </p><p>The two remaining ones complied reluctantly.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Episode 4, Act 4 (Bringing Everything To The Light)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Awkward was an understatement for how Red and the others felt. They sat in the usual spot of the Cafeteria in silence. In the middle of the table was the tablet that Brown concealed. It was out in the open for everyone to observe and interact. The object circled the area as the crew took their turns to inspect. This whole time, Brown had their face covered with their hand while looking down as Black explained how everyone may be a culprit. Black's words carried weight as the rest of them listened since they had no choice. Once Black was finished expressing her thoughts, she turned to Brown and asked,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Who or what are you? Are you one of those things? And did you break the device in the Medbay, as well as the radio in Communications?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With conviction, Black balled her fist and punched the table, causing the others to flinch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I demand an explanation! Now!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From Red's perspective, Black almost seemed like a prosecutor. Red would guess that he and Cyan were part of the jury. Not being suspected was a breath of fresh air to Red. Still, it did not make things any more comfortable as they all really needed to work through this and get on the same page to get tasks done.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brown sighed and stared toward Black. The suspected crewmate could not look Black in the face as they have stated,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I guess I have no choice but to tell you all the truth. I wanted to keep this a secret from you, but just like Purple, I am not really who I presented myself to be. I am a hacker in the real world. I work for a group of people that steals government secrets and exposes them to the public to bring corruption to the forefront. That's it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room got silent again. Red glanced at Black. She was quiet as ever, listening and weighing Brown's explanation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brown scoffed, "There, you have it. I was curious to see if I could hack the electronics in this facility, so I created that device during the day of Blue's death."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brown motioned to the tablet. Brown crossed their arms and looked down, "I...I...I may have been responsible for destroying the radio in Communications, as well as turning off the lights that day. It was an accident! I swear!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red's eyes widened. The others stared at each other in shock as they recalled how much trouble the lights gave them in the case regarding Blue's death. Cyan sighed to themself while Purple shook their head. It would seem like Purple was not aware of that particular detail.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I...I...I didn't think that the lights being off would have been that big of a deal. I mean, we are just crewmates here! I did not anticipate the situation to escalate like this! I swear!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black crossed her arms and looked away, "Well, Blue was killed before the blackout. Now the communications device, on the other hand?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shook her head and stated, "What happened? Are you now going to tell us that the tablet malfunctioned?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brown retrieved the tablet and pressed one of the icons. The others did not know how to take this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Calm down, folks, nothing serious is going to happen," Brown has stated, "And yes, it malfunctioned. The sabotage in Communications was only intended to hide the task completion bar, as you can see on your watches."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On Cue, the others observed their devices that were on their wrist. The completion bar was greyed out, and they couldn't tell how much they had left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"However," said Brown, "it also disabled the security cameras temporarily. It wasn't supposed to destroy our only method of contacting the outside world."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black's stance appeared to soften somewhat, and Red did not know why as he scratched his head. He wasn't sure if she was genuine with them or whether she just did not want to come across as too strong just yet. As if waiting for the perfect opportunity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After looking to and from Black to Brown, Red finally guessed that Black was probably impressed with Brown's abilities. Red held his head and sighed while thinking,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, Black. Now is not the time to admire the one that made things more complicated.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crew was silent as they absorbed what Brown has stated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You did save Red's life with your skills," stated Black with respect, "It doesn't make you innocent of being a murderer, but I also can't just accuse you. Just yet, but be aware that I am suspicious of you.  Is there anything else that you wanted to confess? What about the Medbay?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Brown could respond, to everyone's surprise, Purple was the one that raised their hand. At first, Black gazed at the attention-seeking crewmate, confused for a moment. She then gave them a hand gesture telling them to speak. Purple stood up and bowed at everyone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry, everyone. That </span>
  <span>was my fault. I was the one that broke the scanning machine in the Medbay. During the same night after we captured and ejected Pink, I attempted to fix it but lacked the technical skills."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black narrowed her eyes, feeling that something was off. She recalled being out on the deck during that time but did not remember seeing anyone else. Black even scouted the entire facility to ensure that she was alone.  The questioning crewmate shook her head, crossed her arms, and looked down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What?" asked Purple. It would seem that Purple was oblivious to their contradiction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"If you really were out there that night," declared Black, "then why did we not cross paths?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Purple shrugged, "I dunno. Maybe at the time, you were inspecting the inside of the vents. Why else would we not run into each other?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Purple was blunt and spoke in a tone that almost sounded as if they said, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What are you? Stupid? You said that you were preoccupied. Use your head for a change.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The straightforward one scoffed, shrugged, and shook their head in disbelief at Black.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black was about to respond, but from Red's perspective, Purple actually shut her down. Red and Cyan were astounded as previously. They did not think that anyone could just silence her as Black was so analytical and stone cold. Since Black was a little at a loss of words, Cyan spoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Purple, you know that you could have asked me to fix it. We are a team, after all. You didn't have to put yourself through the trouble."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Purple looked away in shame, "Yeah, I know, but I couldn't think logically at the time! I was terrified and wanted to confirm right away if another one of those things were present! I'm sorry."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The speaker's shoulders slumped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's why I left that day when you discovered that it was broken. It wasn't out of fear of being out on the deck. Rather, the shame of being the one that destroyed the machine was too much for me to handle. I just couldn't be around you all after doing that. I pretty much cried all day because of what I did."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To the others, Purple's story seemed plausible enough, though Black still did not buy it. Regardless, nobody raised an objection. Red glanced at Black. They were still silent. Red reflected,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Feeling a little salty, I see. For someone so strong and well kept together, she sure has a fragile ego.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brown shook their head and decided to continue with what they had to say. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Due to what has been happening in this station, and to make amends for my mistakes as a hacker, I have been making it my duty to get us out of this. I didn't do anything else that could hold us back besides what I mentioned, and the last time that I used that device was when I helped save Red."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Purple glanced at Brown and nodded in agreement </span>
  <span>after stating,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I guess that checks out. The machines have been acting and operating normally. Hopefully, there won't be another reactor meltdown or oxygen leakage, though. That was a little too nerve-wracking for my taste."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Fine," Black has stated quietly, "I guess that covers everything that I wanted to say in regards to the strange occurrences, for now. From this point forward, since those mysteries were discussed, we can move forward." This caught the others off guard as Red has stated, "What? So that's it? We can get back to work?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black shook her head, "Not quite. We aren't finished with the discussion as I feel that we should get everything out in the open before we focus on tasks. I told you all that I am a real-life Impostor that was sent here by the government to stop these creatures, I guess."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black motioned to Purple, “And Purple here, whether they are telling the truth or not, admitted to being a criminal that volunteered for a chance at parole.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black looked at Brown and stated with spite and skepticism, "And Brown is supposedly a hacker that works for a group that exposes government corruption."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black diverted her attention to Red and Cyan, "Do you two have anything to say?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cyan was the first of them to go as they have said, "Yeah. I'm different, too. I...I..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cyan looked down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh no," Red muttered to himself as the color drained from his face, "What is it, Cyan? Who are you, and what are you doing here?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cyan remained silent until they had the willpower to speak, "Do you remember how I said that those presented documents were classified? Well, I may have..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black crossed her arms and gazed at Cyan, “May have?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cyan pleaded and cried, "Please don't lock me up! I may have been a part of the scientific group that assisted with building those things!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone's eyes bulged as the room got quiet again. Nobody moved from their spot. The hairs on Red's arms stood from underneath his suit as he moved away from Cyan. This was starting to become a little too much for him yet again. If they kept having discussions like these, Red predicted that the shock of what was uncovered would be his death rather than a traitorous crewmate murdering him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I...I," Cyan cried, "I assisted with designing the prototype, but I got dropped from the experiment because the truth is that I became a whistleblower. I moved out of the country, but a woman told me that I would be pardoned if I signed up for this experiment! I wanted to see my family again! You see, I have two sons and a husband! It has been several years now, and..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cyan began to break down and cry. Black did the unexpected. She rushed over to Cyan, hugged her, and began to console her while stating,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It's okay. It's okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red was stunned because he did not think that Black had it in her to show compassion. The other two appeared equally surprised. As time passed, things went back to normal. Black returned to her seat while Cyan kept sniffling. Black focused attention on Red, deciding not to waste any more time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What dirt do you have?" she asked him. Except for Cyan, all eyes were on him. They bore into the final one as he thought of his past in the outside world. For the most part, he lived a happy life, but one thing happened. That one incident that he refused to talk about until now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm embarrassed to say this," the Red-suited one has said, "But, I...had a little bit of help when it came to solving the last two cases."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were starting to look questioningly at him as Black continued, "What type of help? Are you a hacker, too?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red shook his head, "No, nothing like that. Not many people know this, but when I was a kid, I was institutionalized. I...saw things that nobody else could. I guess you could say that I had a second sight or something."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Purple seemed intrigued as they stated, "You are a psychic? That's pretty cool."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red nodded at Purple, "Something like that. I was able to see ghosts and spirits a lot when I was a child. I lost that ability at some point, so the institution decided to let me go. It was owned by the government, and they specialized in working with children with those types of gifts. When Blue died, I..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red wasn't sure if he should tell them but decided that he might as well if it would help speed things up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I talked to his ghost in my sleep, and he helped me figure out what happened."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn't visible from the naked eye, but it almost appeared as if Black trembled after the mention of a ghost. Regardless, he continued to converse,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Then, when I went into shock after the second murder, White came to me, along with Blue again. Although they did not outright tell me who killed them, they gave me some pointers, and when I woke up, I was ready. Based on what all of you have said, I think that I'm the only one that was a regular volunteer."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black shook her head, “Not quite, and this may confirm my worst fears.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Worst fears?" asked Brown, "What the hell do you mean by that?! There couldn't possibly be any more to worry about! All we gotta do is finish our tasks! We pretty much know who we are working with! Let's just complete our duties so that the government can pick us up already!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black looked at Brown and shrugged, "Do you not see the pattern here? We were all told that this was an experiment. All of these incidents the happenings. Also, the government has gathered a group of gifted people, assuming that White, Blue, and Pink were special as well."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brown balled their fist, "Yeah?! What are you getting at here! We gave you what you wanted! Everything is out in the open! Let's just finish up and get the hell out!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black shook her head, "It's not that simple, and even if someone does pick us up, it doesn't mean that we're safe. Don't you get it?! The government put us through this! The experiment was to see if we could survive this ordeal! For all we know, they already know about the deaths, are monitoring us, and won't send any help until this is all resolved! Those documents did not tell the full truth! There probably were no accidents! And this may be going according to their plan! They probably are testing out their biomechanical weapons on us!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Cafeteria bustled as the others panicked and talked amongst themselves. Brown yelled, immediately putting a stop to it, “Now your conspiracy theorist mind is getting the best of you yet again! Let's just...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brown's voice broke. They couldn't do it anymore as everything that Black has stated actually made some sense. Initially, Brown played devil's advocate to hide their tracks. But now that it was all out on display, there was no need for that role anymore as it was plausible that this whole trip was one big setup.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Episode 4, Act 5 (Clue)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Day 5</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"A setup, she says," Red has stated to himself as he completed tasks in the Storage Room. He was currently alone. Red's hand was on a lever as he pondered what was discussed yesterday. Government conspiracies, gifted volunteers who may not have really been volunteers, alternately, handpicked. The mystery behind the door, the blackout, and the radio that was destroyed. Why the machine in the Medbay was damaged. Red pulled down the level, dumping the leaves down the garbage chute, causing them to drift away into outer space. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Another easy task is done,</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red thought to himself as he swiped his hands together, proudly,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>but still, the mystery behind the placards being crossed out was not mentioned even once. I wonder if Black did that on purpose just so that she could make the culprit slip or maybe catch them in the act later. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he began to leave the area, Red unknowingly tripped and fell. There was a crash sound as boxes and crates fell on top of the imbalanced one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ouch!" Red said as he pushed the objects off. As he got up, Red noticed that some type of liquid must have spilled on his suit. The curious one looked at his arm. He was caught by surprise because it almost seemed as if Red was wearing a different colored suit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I am bluish-green now?" he muttered to himself, "It must be some type of dye. I don't feel any adverse side effects."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What alarmed him was that the dye was spreading out further. It got on his body, his other arm, and legs until it solidified. Red, unsure if he should be called that anymore, shrugged his shoulders and decided to just sort the boxes and crates. After putting everything back where they belonged, including the dye packages, Red left the area and traveled for the Cafeteria. Based on his understanding, everyone was on the same page in regards to finishing their work. At this point, they had probably two or three days of assignments left if they continued with their pace. Regardless of whether they were put in this situation by accident or not, it did not matter too much. They were almost done.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten minutes later, Red was currently with Purple. Purple stood in front of the stove as they prepared food for the crew. Red did recall the crewmate mentioning that they were a chef before they were incarcerated. The discolored one wasn't sure how to explain his predicament as he attempted to get Purple's attention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Purple, I was wondering if you can help me here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Purple glanced at Red, who was currently another hue. The response that was given was not something that the young man would have expected as Purple responded, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, hey, Teal. What was it that you needed help with?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Purple was so casual as they looked at their crewmate as if being a different coloration were nothing. As Purple watched the questioning one, their hands moved as they stirred, tossed, and turned the food. Based on the smell and what the Teal colored one could see, it appeared to be Mexican-style food. Before he could say anything, Cyan entered the Cafeteria. They have stated,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ok. I'm going to call it a day. I have been working too hard for a while, so I hope that none of you mind that I, wait...what?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cyan looked at the Teal-colored person. This was the reaction that Red expected as all he could mutter was, "Yeah,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was an awkward silence. The oblivious Purple simply wondered what Teal wanted. At the same time, Cyan was confused and apprehensive that a crewmate was such. Before Red could explain the situation, Brown entered the Cafeteria. They carried with them the tablet that was used for hacking. Earlier during the day, everyone figured that Brown could hold onto it as long as it wasn't used for a nefarious purpose. Otherwise, they would detain Brown in the airlock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey Purple," stated Brown, "Later on, we probably should head to the Weapons Bay and clear out a few more asteroids. We are forecasted to get showered by them and,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Brown could finish, they turned their attention to Cyan and the discolored one, "Oh hello, Cyan and Teal, I apologize for just butting in like that. It's good to see that we all are fully cooperating. We just have today and tomorrow, then our taskbar will be full."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brown balled their fist and stated with conviction, "This is the final push, guys! I know that we have been through so many tragedies and have experienced a lot. But it is finally coming to an end! Let's finish this and have dinner in the outside world! It is my treat, and we should honor the ones that were sacrificed to get to this point!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Purple nodded in agreement. Cyan still appeared confused. The fact that there was a Teal colored crewmate did not seem to phase Brown as they carried on while walking off towards the direction of the Weapons Bay while stating,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ok, once you're done cooking that food, I'll be waiting for you there. Maybe I can hack or program these guns into doing some type of autofire, so we don't even have to worry about asteroids anymore, and..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brown was too far gone for any of them to hear. Without them knowing it, Black has stated, "What are you two doing?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red and Cyan staggered back as somehow, Black came into the Cafeteria and stood next to them out of nowhere. Red has stated, "I...I...I..." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black shook her head in disgrace as she has declared, "Teal, Cyan, I hate to sound like Brown right now, but you both REALLY need to stop slacking off. Unless you have any business here, I suggest that you both get back to work."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wait," stated Cyan, "Am I dreaming? Did I hit my head really hard or something? Am I the only one to notice what's going on here?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Purple and Black looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Purple turned back around to the stove and continued to stir, fry, and bake the food that was being prepared. Black walked over to her chair that was in the usual meeting spot and sat down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And just for the record," she has stated, "I'm done with all of my tasks for the day, including the ones that I missed out on days prior, so it is fine for me to just sit here until it is lights out. Someone has to be on watch anyhow. I mean, one of you is a killer after all."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Purple groaned in despair as they looked down at the food that was being cooked. The chef's hands stopped stirring as they listened to Black.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You should be grateful that I am showing this type of dedication towards trying to save your lives. I know that Brown came from the Security Room in the past hour, went here, and is now in the Weapons Bay. Purple has been standing here in Cafeteria for most of the day, preparing a week's work of food for us. There were a few times when they went to and from their bunker."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Please stop," muttered Purple as the food started to emit smoke instead of steam. Purple's hands trembled as they held the cooking tools. Black did not comply as she continued,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Teal kept bouncing from the Storage Room to Communications. And Cyan was...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Just stop!" yelled the chef. The crewmate hastily turned to Black, not wanting any more of this suspicion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We are supposed to be crewmates here! A team! What is your problem, man?! What else do you want?! We already revealed everything about ourselves and what has been going on! Quit being this way, or else I'll..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The food was burning. It smelled, but none of the crew seemed to care as eyes were on the two arguing ones. From the observers' perspective, it went from having a Teal colored crewmate to this. It had gotten to the point in which they had forgotten about the issue altogether. Black crossed her arms as she looked at Purple. She did not utter a word to the chef as she stared at him, waiting for Purple to finish that sentence. Hoping that the chef's next choice of words was wisely used for their sake. The speakers remained like that for a moment until Cyan left the area and returned with an extinguisher. Since Purple was frozen in place, Cyan turned off the stove and then used the device to douse the food to prevent a fire from breaking. Silence still. Red decided that since it has gotten like this, he would try to resolve his issue. The Teal-colored one walked over to the water faucet and poured water onto his hand. Instantly, the color got off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, that was easy,</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red thought to himself as he filled a bucket, then dumped the water on top of himself. After this was done, while water dripped off him, he left the Cafeteria and went inside his bunker. The crewmate took off the suit. Randall inspected every nook and cranny to discover that all it took was a pot of H2O to thoroughly wash off the dye. The young man shrugged, put back on the getup, then entered the Cafeteria. The atmosphere was still just as tense as before, except that Purple continued to cook. Red wasn't sure if the remaining ones talked it over and resolved it, but there was peace for the time being.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Day 6</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The day proceeded as usual. There were no meetings. There was no suspicion or any mention of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To Red, it almost felt similar to how it was when the crew first started this expedition. Nothing to really worry about aside from the troubles of being in space. Everyone just stayed on task without having to be directed. All they had was a goal to meet so that they could be picked up. No one has really spoken anything unless it was task-related. Unknowingly to them, this was the last day that they would ever have until the next incident. It was currently lights out. Randall was in his bunker, reflecting on many of the things that have happened. It has been pretty peaceful, and what felt uneasy to him was that he was getting so used to the stressful meetings. The murders and the suspicion felt more natural than tranquil moments like this. The crewmate laid down in his bed and pulled the sheets over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One more day,” he muttered to himself as he allowed sleep to take over.<br/><br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Episode 4, Act 6 (Anyone Could Be An Impostor)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strike> Day 7 </strike>
</p><p>Loop 7</p><p> </p><p>Anyone could be an impostor, was what Randall heard as he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. The voice almost seemed like it was right next to him as he heard it against his ear. It sounded like one of his crewmates. Randall turned to his left, but nobody was there. The young man shrugged as he got himself washed and dressed. Today was going to be the final day to do tasks. Once he was finished with the preparations, Randall put on his Red suit and opened his bunker door. It was the appointed time. However, there wasn't a soul in sight as he looked around. Deciding that the others must have overslept, Red decided to wait as he was seated in one of the Cafeteria chairs. Seconds trickled away, then minutes, then an hour passed. Nobody exited their bunker. This was highly unusual to Randall as he muttered,</p><p> </p><p>“I hope they are okay.”</p><p> </p><p>The young man stood up and approached one of the doors. It was Brown's. His eyes bulged as he witnessed a big crimson X drawn on the placard. It was just like what happened to the others that were killed or ejected or both. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No,  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Red thought,</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I...it's just a prank. There is no way that they... </em>
</p><p> </p><p>That train of thought was interrupted as he observed the other doors. It wasn't just Brown that had the big crimson X, but also Cyan, Purple, and even Black, to his surprise, having no idea how anyone could get the jump on her. Not wanting to believe this, Red rushed away from the Cafeteria and traversed the entire facility while yelling code names. There was no response and not a soul to be found. His voice echoed in the seemingly empty station. It gave Red an eerie feeling as he kept on going from room to room, inspecting every nook and cranny. His heart started to pound as he began to expect the worst. If all of them were really dead except for him, then that may mean.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, a flash filled Red's mind as a memory came to him. During the day of Blue's death, Red recalled sneaking up on Blue when the crewmate headed for the Communications Room. Red had what appeared to be some type of laser saber in his hand. Once Blue was inside the location, Red rushed at the unsuspecting one, weapon in hand, then sliced them in half with the blade. The blade caused the upper body to disintegrate on contact, leaving the lower torso. Red returned to Navigation, hid the weapon behind the computer console, then everything played out as he said days ago.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No!  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Red thought to himself,</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I didn't do it! I... </em>
</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Another visual filled his psyche. The distraught man recalled being in the Security Room with White. There wasn't a monster that jumped through the vent. The vent just happened to pop open due to chance as steam poured out. After Red talked White into cooperating, he yelled,</p><p> </p><p>“Behind you!” </p><p> </p><p>White began to turn around as Red pulled out his blade from his pocket. He pressed a button as the laser jetted out. Red rushed at White and sliced them in half with one quick swipe. Just like before, the upper torso disintegrated. Red then turned off the saber and tossed the weapon inside of the open vent. He knew that steam would destroy and melt the device. Red closed the opened space and looked over at the corpse. Losing a weapon was not that big of a deal to him as he had many spares in his bunker.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>“I...I did it?" Red muttered to himself as beads of sweat poured down his brow. "I...I killed them? I butchered them? I murdered them?"</p><p> </p><p>Red starred directly at the wall. He twitched and grumbled as more and more visions engulfed his psyche. First, there was Black. He shook again as a smile formed on his face unwillingly. Black was the only one that Red revealed himself to. Before it was lights out, Red gave the shady crewmate a challenge letter, explaining that they would have a fight to the death to see who the better Impostor was. The two would meet out on the deck after hours when everyone else was asleep, then commence combat with no interruptions. Red had a tough time with that one, but in the end, Red turned out to be better than her. The battle lasted for several hours while everyone else remained unaware. </p><p> </p><p>Brown was the second to go. The unsuspecting Brown. All Red had to do was lure them over to the Weapons Bay, then slice!</p><p> </p><p>Achievement Unlocked: Two Lower Torsos in One Day</p><p> </p><p>It was a bit unsatisfying to Red. He would have guessed that Brown probably felt guilty over being suspicious of him this entire time. But then again, due to how much trouble Red had with subduing Black, a freebie wasn't so bad. Then Purple was the third. Red snuck a vial of poison into the food that Purple cooked for themself, and voila! That's one dead crewmate that never had a chance to leave their bunker and live another day. It was the perfect recipe for an individual that prided themself on being a gourmet chef.</p><p> </p><p>And there finally was Cyan. Poor, poor Cyan. Red shook his head in shame as even his dark side was beginning to feel wrong about this. Cyan was the last one that remained. Once the crewmate came out of their bunker, Red simply explained everything that happened, starting from the beginning. Of course, this terrified the person, and from there, it was just a cat or mouse game until Red got bored, caught them, and,</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Chop. Chop. Chop. Stab. Stab. Stab. Dice. Dice. Dice. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>His practical side knew that these thoughts and feelings were traitorous, and it contradicted everything that he saw himself as. Red reached into his pocket. The murder weapon was there. He pulled it out and trembled as he held the device. He pressed the button as the laser blade protruded out. In a panic, Red dropped the item and ran away, screaming in terror. He was like that for a moment: rushing and shrieking. Eventually, the running turned into a jog as the outcry turned into hysterical laughter. He was happy.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Happy. Merry. Jolly. Ecstatic. Yay! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Underneath his suit, Red had a twisted smile on his face as he skipped through the hallway, like a school kid that was having the most joyous of times. It all finally came back to him. Pink was right. Red did have a split personality in which the memories were separate. The truth was that, although he was institutionalized, it was because he was a psychotic kid back then. Not because he had special psychic powers or anything. He kept laughing, playing, and bouncing from place to place since it all worked out in the end. The remaining one was relieved that he finally could just allow his natural self to surface. Red eventually retrieved the murder weapon and reenacted the crimes that he committed not only in this facility but also in the outside world. It was an act to behold.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>
  <strike> Day 7 </strike>
</p><p>Loop 7</p><p> </p><p>Anyone could be an impostor, was what Randall heard as he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. The voice almost seemed like it was right next to him as he heard it against his ear. It sounded like one of his crewmates. Randall turned to his right, but nobody was there. The young man shrugged as he got himself washed and dressed. Today was going to be the final day to do tasks. Once he was finished with the preparations, Randall put on his Red suit and opened his bunker door. On the other side, he was greeted by the sight of Black. She just stood there, staring at him. Red wasn't sure what was going on as he shrugged his shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>"Sup Black?" was all he could say. The Black suited female sighed as she shook her head. This was the first time that he had seen Black like this. She had her head low as if seeming to be discouraged. This was the only other time when Red has seen this person show some type of emotion. Black was silent. Red could have sworn that he saw something in Black's hand, but something else caught his eye as he observed the hallway leading to the Medbay. The crewmate's eyes bulged as he yelled, "Oh my god!"</p><p> </p><p>He rushed on over. The terrible scene in front of him caused his skin to freeze up. One person was lying on the ground, sprawled out, appearing to be dead. It was Purple. Black observed from a distance. The panicked man checked for a pulse. There was nothing. Red wanted to shout out for Black to come over and see this, but the terrified young man did not know how to describe this feeling. It was almost as if all of his cells were telling him that his life was in danger. As if his death was imminent.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No, </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Red thought to himself as he continued to inspect the body.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> It's not true.   </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The body felt as cold as ice, which told Red that the murder had happened hours ago. It must have been when he was asleep in his bunker. There appeared to be holes in the suit in which blood poured at some point. Red hastily turned to Black. She just stood there, staring at Red, with her head tilted. She did not approach nor pursue him. The Impostor remained motionless. Red observed the object that Black appeared to be holding, along with the wound that was on Purple, suddenly having a dark realization of what happened. It was out in the open. However, Red did not want to believe it as he shook his head. Red's vision started to become hazy as he let go of Purple and continued to walk through the facility. He refused to accept what would be apparent to anyone else.</p><p> </p><p>Red stood up and continued to walk inside of the facility. He arrived in the Lower Engine Room. Everything was still blurry, and there was nothing else out of the ordinary. There were machines, wires, and the smell of oil. On the side was Brown's corpse, laying on one of the consoles. Red observed it, his eyes narrowed. The corpse was a corpse. It was stiff, cold, and th</p><p>at was that.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, just a bullet wound,"</p><p> </p><p>Red stated bluntly. Nothing unusual. The visual of Black holding the gun faintly overcame his psyche. Red continued to traverse through the facility. It was silent still.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah...here I am," he declared, "My favorite spot of all time, the Communications Room. The machine is still broken, but thank goodness the task manager is still up and running."</p><p> </p><p>Red began to do a few tasks as if it were a regular day. To his right was Cyan's corpse. Just sitting there. This time, the body was riddled with many holes. </p><p> </p><p>“I guess someone was really craving Swiss cheese," he muttered with a chuckle as he looked away from the body. Red attempted to download data that was on the laptop that was sitting there. The green progress bar was fixed as it was impossible to complete this task since communications were cut days ago. This did not register to Red as he observed the bar. He heard a completion sound in his head as he stated, </p><p> </p><p>“Finished, time to move to the next duty."</p><p> </p><p>Red was like that for a moment until he finally circled back to the Cafeteria. Black just stared at him. Still, she looked down in shame, feeling bad for what she has done and reducing Red to this state of self-denial. The Impostor thought that the most merciful thing to do would be to put the final crewmate out of his misery.</p><p> </p><p>"Red," stated Black. She pointed the gun at the young man's head and cocked back the trigger, "I'm sorry. I'm not sure if you can even compute what I'm saying anymore, but I lied during our last meeting. There aren't another one of those monsters. I did what I did so that I could get information from all of you. In a way, Brown was right when he said that I was the only remaining culprit. Not only was I sent here to subjugate the creatures, but I also am supposed to silence all witnesses."</p><p> </p><p>After saying that, Red stopped walking. He just stood there, back turned against Black as he allowed the truth of the situation to finally sink into his skull. Again, he imagined his dead crewmates along with the gun that Black carried. The distraught one sunk down to his knees and began to mourn. Black shook her head as she gazed down at Red. Tears began to stream down Red's eyes as he finally accepted the fear as reality. He remained paralyzed from the horror of his impending death. It really was about to be over. He was aware that many people would beg for mercy, curse at the antagonist in situations like this, or even ask why. Red did not have it in him to do any of it as he remained motionless.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, Red, or should I say, Randall, for all it's worth, I really enjoyed working with you. Farewell, partner.”</p><p> </p><p>Black pulled the trigger as the last thing that Red heard was a gunshot until everything faded away.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>
  <strike>Day 7</strike>
</p><p>Loop7 </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Anyone could be an impostor, was what Randall heard as he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. The voice almost seemed like it was right next to him as he heard it against his ear. It sounded like one of his crewmates. Randall looked straight ahead, but nobody was there. The young man shrugged as he got himself washed and dressed. Today was going to be the final day to do tasks. Once he was finished with the preparations, Randall put on his Red suit and opened his bunker door. He was greeted to the sight of Purple, slaving away at the stove. The aroma of meat mixed with vegetables was almost unbearable to Red as he almost rushed over to the chef but stopped in his tracks. He knew that it would be rude to pester the cook, so he felt that it was best to leave Purple to their devices. Rather than wait for the others, Red decided to just work on some tasks. </p><p> </p><p>Nothing out of the ordinary happened as Red was too involved with the maintenance work that he performed. He did not overthink when he realized that he may have been the only one that was diligent. All he would have to do is pick up the slack, and it didn't matter too much anyhow as they were almost finished. Red did some tasks in Medbay. He then went to Communications, then Weapons, Navigation, Shields, O2, the Reactor Room, Engines, and Electrical. He did not bump into anyone as he worked. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> One task after another, </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Red thought to himself. The young man was happy that he finally will be able to get off this station and see his loved ones again.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I will finally be able to experience the beauty of Earth. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>After exhaustion, Red went back to the Cafeteria, feeling somewhat disgruntled that he couldn't complete this project solo as the green bar was almost full.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I guess in the end, I couldn't do it all on my own.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He mused to himself as he approached one of the bunkers. Initially, he was going to bang on the door in an attempt to get one of the crewmates to help him, but he stopped in his tracks. This was Cyan's bunker, and the placard was crossed out with a big crimson X. Red halted just before his fist made contact with the door. He looked at the remaining crewmate's placards. They were all the same except for Purple and himself. Suddenly, a chill went down his spine as Purple has stated, </p><p> </p><p>“Ah, Red, the food is ready. Can you do me a favor and help me place these dishes on the table?”</p><p> </p><p>Red slowly moved his head to Purple. Their back was turned, casual as ever. Rather than comply, Red went for his bunker and decided to just hole up in there until HQ picked him and only himself up. The startled one reached for the handle and turned it. It wouldn't move. Red pounded on the door, but no response. It would not open no matter what he did.</p><p> </p><p>"Fine," stated Purple, "You're probably too exhausted from doing all of those tasks anyhow."</p><p> </p><p>Purple grabbed a dish and put it on one of the Cafeteria tables. </p><p> </p><p>“I'll take care of it then, just get some rest," they stated, "go ahead and have a seat."</p><p> </p><p>Red looked over at his crewmate, then at the dish that they carried. His eyes bulged. On the plate was a lower torso with the bone sticking out. It was Black's.</p><p> </p><p>"No, no, no, no, no!" Red stuttered as he trembled. He got down on his knees, fear-stricken, and hugging himself. </p><p> </p><p>“In prison, they don't call me the butcher for nothing," Purple chuckled to themself as they approached Red, then looked down at him. The crewmate placed their hand on his shoulder, knelt down, and stated while patting him,</p><p> </p><p>"It's okay, bud. It's okay. I'm not going to kill you. All I ask is that you finish your tasks so that HQ can show up. I decided that since I was so sick of all of the suspicion and the accusations, rather than draw things out, I might as well just exterminate everyone and preserve their bodies. I am one of those things, Red, but instead of being some mindless beast, like Pink, I prefer to be more civil. You will finish your tasks, lure HQ here, and help me subdue them when they arrive so that I won't run out of food. I'm only going to eat you as a last resort if there is no other choice."</p><p> </p><p>Purple pat Red on the shoulder again and gave him a hug. The Impostor then stated, "See? I am a good monster. Now, as requested, can you help me put these dishes on the table? Later on, I may prepare something that is for human consumption. I mean, you probably thought that I was using animal meat all this time to feed the crew. The truth is that I have been storing the bodies in the vents, cooked them, and fed them to the rest of you to conceal the evidence. Then, when there were so few of you left, I felt confident enough to put it all to an end by myself."</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Episode 4, Act 7 (Anyone Could Be An Impostor - Part 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strike>
    <span>Day 7</span>
  </strike>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loop 7</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Anyone could be an impostor, was what Randall heard as he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. The voice almost sounded like it was right next to him as he heard it against his ear. It sounded like one of his crewmates. Randall looked under the bed, but nobody was there. The young man shrugged as he got himself washed and dressed. Today was going to be the final day to do tasks. Once he was finished with the preparations, Randall put on his Red suit and opened his bunker door. As expected, he was the first one out. The young man gazed down at his watch and realized that he was thirty minutes early. Red sat down in one of the Cafeteria chairs and waited for the others to awaken. Over time, the crew emerged. First, it was Brown, then Purple, and finally, Black. They did not exchange words to each other as everyone knew what needed to be done. They gazed at each other as they waited for Cyan to arrive. As the minutes passed, the missing crewmate was nowhere to be seen. Black approached Cyan's bunker and knocked on the door. There was no response, which prompted her to shout the crewmate's code name. No reply. The others did not know how to take this as they shrugged their shoulders. Brown and Purple separated as they decided not to waste any more time. Red appeared apprehensive as he approached Cyan's door. There was nothing unusual about it. The placard wasn't crossed out, and the only ones that were marked were the dead crewmates.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Cyan technically should be okay," stated Black. Red nodded and guessed that the crewmate must be oversleeping. Deciding to follow in the footsteps of the others, Red and Black agreed to complete their work. They concluded that they probably did not need Cyan's help to finish the little bit that's left.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Several hours had passed with no incidents to report. Red observed his watch to notice that the taskbar was full. They had no more work to do, and theoretically, HQ should have been notified. They were all in the middle of the Cafeteria with nothing left. Purple was busy preparing their dinners. Based on observation, it would appear, from Red's perspective, that Purple was creating a pasta dish this time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They don't call me the butcher for nothing," Purple muttered as they whistled a tune to themself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red chuckled, "No need to gloat. No need to gloat."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was silence until a projection was shown to everyone in the middle of the room. Purple stopped in their tracks as the others focused attention on the image. It was what appeared to be a woman that wore a lab coat and glasses. Her hair was tied in a bun, and she looked to be in her fifties. The woman spoke in a soft tone,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Congratulation, everyone. You have successfully completed the project.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The others were all ecstatic as they cheered and murmured to themselves in relief. The victorious feeling was short-lived as the woman has stated,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I regret to inform you all that despite your success, we are unable to allow you to leave the facility."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What?!” exclaimed Brown, “But we did everything that you said, and despite the odds, we came on top!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Black crossed her arms as she muttered, “I'm not surprised.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red and Purple went silent as a sinking feeling went down their abdomen. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Explain yourself!” yelled Brown, “What the f*** is going on?! Did you put us through these troubles on purpose?! Was it really to test to see if we survive these attacks?!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The recipient has stated in a calm tone, "The experiment was supposed to go as planned. You all were expected to complete your tasks, then return home. No strings attached. But I have been reporting to the HQ that there were monsters on board. And there were already a few casualties. As a result, after completing the assignments, the government has deemed that the facility needed to self-destruct. We are sorry about this. But on behalf of our organization, the data that you provided and your work will be utilized. It will be employed in a way so that we learn from our past mistakes</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> to make the world a better place."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Except for Black, the others panicked as many of them protested. It all turned into a convoluted mess of pleases, begs, swearing, arguing, and crying as the woman on the other end observed them with a neutral expression on her face. Her voice is what temporarily broke the silence,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I apologize, not only on behalf of the government but as an individual. As you see, this is an act of betrayal. You all knew me as Cyan when I was a crewmate on the ship. Overnight the government picked me up with a drop-ship, and here I am on Earth. I..."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The woman looked down, "I really wanted to see my family again. I'm sorry. I don't expect to ever be forgiven, but it's every person for themself. I truly wish that things could have been different, but..."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before the sentence could be finished, the projection turned off, leaving the rest of them in states of confusion. It was short-lived as alarms blared in the facility accompanied by audio cues. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Self-destruction is imminent. Self-destruction is imminent. Self-destruction is imminent.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red's eyes widened as Brown and Purple ran around the facility in a fit of panic. Black just stood there, with her arms crossed, not seeing the point in going anywhere. It wasn't like they had any place to run anyhow.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god!” yelled Brown, “We are all going to die! We are all going to die!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ! Get me out of here! Please, God, Please God, Please don't let this be real, please God!" Purple kept stammering.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red clutched his heart as he was too fear-stricken to even move. The voice on the loudspeaker has stated.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Self-destruction in five seconds. Four seconds. Three seconds. Two seconds. One second. Self-destruction...activated.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Black scoffed and shook her head in shame as the facility began to blow up. All around them, explosions happened. Brown and Purple were blasted into bloody chunks while Red and Black became engulfed in fire. The space station explosed, and all that was left were debris that drifted away into outer space.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strike>
    <span>Day 7</span>
  </strike>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loop 7</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Anyone could be an impostor, was what Randall heard as he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. The voice almost seemed like it was right next to him as he heard it against his ear. It sounded like one of his crewmates. Randall looked out the window, but nobody was there. For some reason, Randall felt hot, as if he just woke up to find himself in some type of furnace. Randall was drenched in sweat, figuring that there had to be something wrong with the air conditioning. It was unbearable to the young man. Randall shrugged as he got himself washed and dressed. He stayed in the shower for a little longer than he typically would. The water was set to be as cold as it could be. He felt grateful that at least the water functioned normally. After feeling cooled enough, Randall got out of the shower and got dressed. Today was going to be the final day to do tasks. Once he was finished with the preparations, Randall, with reluctance, began to put on his Red suit. Fortunately for him, the suit itself was heat resistant. As it touched him, he felt lukewarm instead of unbearably hot.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>This is tolerable</span>
  </em>
  <span>,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>he thought to himself as he finished with the preparations and opened his bunker door. He decided that the first thing that he was going to do was fix the air conditioning. As soon as he stepped foot out in the Cafeteria, he walked into something completely unexpected. Red watched as Black continuously punched Brown in the stomach again and again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"You f***ing bastard," she stated to him as she kept wailing away. Red's eyes widened. This did not appear to be a joke as he wondered what was going on. Out in the Cafeteria were Black, Brown, and Cyan. Cyan was also at a safe distance, observing the event. The crewmate had their arms crossed while they watched. From Red's perspective, Cyan typically would break up incidents like this. It would almost seem as if Cyan purposefully allowed the beating to happen as if it were justified.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh oh,” Red muttered, “What did Brown do?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was no response, and Brown was not resisting the thrashing that Black bestowed on them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Where is Purple?" asked Red. Still, there was no reply. Red walked over to Purple's bunker in hopes that the crewmate could put a stop to this. He was about to knock on the door but stopped in his tracks as his eyes bulged. Purple's placard was crossed out with a big crimson X.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh no," Red breathed as he stared at the door in disbelief. He turned to Black and Brown. The one-sided beat down still occurred as Black picked up Brown and slammed them very hard on the table. Black then jumped into the air with a flip, then as she came down, her foot slammed down very hard on Brown's stomach, causing him to gasp in pain. There was silence as Brown breathed heavily. Cyan and Black glared daggers at Brown as he laid on top of the table, wounded and most likely battered and bruised underneath that suit.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I...I," muttered Brown, "I don't expect you all to forgive me for this, but this has to be done. I...I'm sorry that It...it couldn't be any other way."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Black shook her head in disgrace at Brown while Cyan has stated,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Brown. We trusted you. Even after you revealed to us that you're a hacker, we still believed in you. I mean, you saved Red's life earlier with your talents, and now you do this?!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyan shook their head in disgrace.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Dishonorable and degrading," hissed Black as she punched Brown in the stomach one final time, causing him to gasp.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Deciding that it was now appropriate to ask, Red has stated, “What happened?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I have to give Brown credit,” replied Black, “he is a very talented hacker. He even managed to hack the station to the point in which he was able to steer it and give it a set course.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red was beginning to feel hot, even through the suit. He held his head as he breathed, “W...well. T...That's good, right? Also, Purple is...”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyan finished the sentence, "Dead. I'm guessing that he. I'm assuming that Purple is a he. He died of heatstroke in his sleep. It's all this bastard's fault!" Cyan pointed at Brown. This only confused Red as he did not understand how the facility being this hot was Brown's cause as Red still found it hard to believe that Brown would do this on purpose.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If Brown could control the station like that,” stated Red, “Then he could take us home, right?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was getting harder for Red to speak. Black shook her head as she kept looking at Brown, "The reason why it is getting this hot is that Brown has set an irreversible course for the station to fly into the sun. Apparently, we were on a set course since a couple days ago."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red's eyes bulged as he rushed over at Brown. He picked up the injured crewmate and yelled, “Hey! Why are you doing this?! Have you lost your f***ing mind?! Turn us around already!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Brown muttered wearily to Red, "I...I'm sorry, Red. I don't expect to be forgiven or understood. The government has been doing many secretive things behind our backs. To help ensure that this incident does not happen again, I will destroy this facility and its crew so that they don't have the means of repeating this. I have to be sure that no monsters exit the station."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red's eyes widened as he balls his fist and gets ready to punch Brown. A part of him understood why Brown was doing this as this would ensure the erasure of infection. Still, at the same time, Brown said earlier that he would do everything in their power to protect the crew.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Red," stated Cyan. The crewmate shook their head and said, "It's no point."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red dropped the traitor. He then looked out the window to see if it really were true. Out in the distance, Red could see the sun as the quarters radiated yellow. Everything began to appear hazy as Red's sight weakened. It became so hot. From a distance, Black was already passed out while Cyan just stood there. Brown was limp. From the corner of Red's eye, he could see crimson-colored Xs form on Brown and Black's placards. They were already dead. There were still so many unexplained mysteries. Cyan remained crouched down on the ground while Red fainted. The station kept getting closer and closer to the sun until it finally reached its destination.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strike>
    <span>Day 7</span>
  </strike>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Loop 7</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Anyone could be an impostor, was what Randall heard as he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. The voice almost seemed like it was right next to him as he heard it against his ear. It sounded like one of his crewmates. Randall looked straight up at the ceiling, but nobody was there. The young man shrugged as he got himself washed and dressed. Today was going to be the final day to do tasks. Once he was finished with the preparations, Randall put on his Red suit and opened his bunker door. He was greeted by the sight of all of his crewmates. They all sat in front of the meeting table and starred directly at Red. From his perspective, it would appear that they were waiting for him. Red looked at his watch and realized that he was an hour late.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I'm sorry, guys!" he stammered as he rushed to his seat and sat down. The others either gazed at him in disdain or looked down in embarrassment. Red felt ashamed as his gaze shifted away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Red," stated one of the crewmates, "earlier we cast a vote, and you showing up late like this has pretty much solidified our thoughts."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red was confused, "A vote? Your thoughts? What are you talking about? All we gotta do is finish our tasks, then go home."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red gazed at the speaker. He was taken aback since it was Blue. Red examined the rest of them. Not only was Blue present, but also Pink and White. Nobody questioned what was going on as they gave Red questioning stares.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there a problem, Red?" asked Black. She had her arms crossed as she gawked at him. Not sure of what else to do, Red decided to just go with it and not mention how this shouldn't be possible. The others could tell that he was bewildered. Deciding to interject, White has stated,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Just to get you caught up to speed, as Blue said, we decided to cast votes. The votes were based on the performance of the crew as a team. And with you showing up late like this, it isn't looking too good for you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>White muttered, tisk, tisk, tisk, while Pink has stated, "Aren't you a little too hard on them? I mean, we are going through stressful times, and Red has been doing the best that they could given the circumstances."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Blue nodded, “Yeah, let's just give them another chance. I'm sure that Red would step up their game if we...”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Being unable to finish, Blue was interrupted as Brown yelled, "No! That won't do! We have been out here on this station for five years now, and nothing has really changed! It is all because of Red! Everyone else has finished their tasks except for him!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Five years?!" Red exclaimed. His eyes protruded as this was starting to get far too absurd for him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Brown, disregarding Red, turned to Blue and stated in a much more calm tone, "I know that Red is your best friend, but we all have families to go home to and have been out here for far longer than predicted. Let's just vote him out already and call it quits. Maybe as a ghost, he will be far more useful to us. Perhaps he will finally be humbled and complete his tasks from beyond the grave, then the game would be over, and we could start a new lobby! I want to finally become the impostor this time rather than a boring crewmate!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, what?! As a ghost?! The game would be over?! A new lobby?! Become an impostor this time?!" exclaimed Red, "Vote me out?! What the f*** is this s***?! This isn't a game! What's going on here?! Explain!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was a heavy silence as everyone weighed what was being said. The one who broke the quietness was Cyan as they have said, "Okay, I know that it is dirty, but I guess it is decided, let's eject Red, then we can finally leave this place. The troll has to learn their lesson."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red turned to Cyan in alarm while the others nodded. Red got up out of his seat and began to run away but was tackled from behind. He gazed at his assailant as he attempted to struggle. It was Black as she has stated, "Struggling is only going to make this more difficult for you in the end."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me go!" the attacked one yelled as he screeched, twisted, and turned. Red began to elbow Black in the face repeatedly until her grip weakened. Red took this opportunity to break free and get back on his feet. As this happened, some of the others observed what was going on, as if this were a sport. Brown, Purple, and White were cheering and goading Black on while Pink, Cyan, and Blue were having a hard time watching. Red was finally on his toes, in a combative stance. He was quivering as the only time that he had ever been in a fight was in the hallway in high school while Black was a trained killer. Black slowly got up and gazed at Red. She chuckled softly at him, then signaled for him to come at her. With fury, Red swung at the real-life impostor. With a deft movement, she ducked, jumped, and dodged as if it were nothing. Then in one swift motion, Black swung kicked Red so hard that he flew away with his back colliding on the wall, causing a dent in the facility. A few of them said, Ooooooooooooo while others cringed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Get him to 100%, then use a fully charged smash attack and knock him out of the screen, Black!" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"No, use your Up-B instead! Or better yet, shoot him with a Kamehameha wave blast!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Ah, come on! Finish him! Show us a fatality already! Rip out his spine!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>These were some of the things that the spectators echoed. Regardless of their reactions, Red was knocked out cold.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, his efforts were all in vain as he stood no chance.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ten minutes later, Red was thrown into the airlock. The terrified young man got up and rushed for the exit. Unfortunately, the door closed on him, causing the captive to slam onto it. The lone crewmate pounded on the doorway as he yelled,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! Stop this! This doesn't make any sense, and it is completed insane! You can't do this! Let me out!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Blue and Pink looked down in guilt. Cyan also possessed the same sentiment. The three backed up as White approached the door and looked at Red.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I'm sorry, but the vote was unanimous. Farewell, friend.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>White pushed the button on the other side. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red was ejected.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red's body drifted away in space. His eyes protruded as the air got sucked out of him as he choked to death. His body flew further and further away in the vacuum. Eventually, rather than a struggling body, it became a limp corpse floating out in the void.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Loop's End</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Anyone could be an impostor, was what Randall heard as he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. The voice almost seemed like it was right next to him as he heard it against his ear. It sounded like one of his crewmates. Randall looked to his right again, and indeed, there was someone next to him. This caused the man to gasp in shock, seeing that the whisperer was Pink. Randall stood up, feeling that something was off. He found himself in the Cafeteria while wearing his Red suit. Suddenly, those events' memories filled his mind as all he could do was observe Pink in disdain. Red realized that they had to have all been dreams, including what was going on right now.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Did you enjoy your nap?" Pink asked as they gazed up at Red. The impostor remained seated at the table while Red did not respond. Instead, he looked around. It indeed was just like before. All that was in this space was the Cafeteria table as there was a black void surrounding them. In their respective seats were White, Blue, and Teal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Teal?!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red thought to himself as he recalled the day before yesterday. He shook his head as this did not make sense as there was no Teal crewmate among them. It made him ponder if another one of them had died.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes," Blue answered in response to the thought as White spoke,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Currently, you are dreaming. As a matter of fact, since we are getting close to the end of the road, this will be the last dream sequence that we have, so you may be best off taking advantage of it as much as possible.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Teal spoke, “I died, so here I am. Lending my support.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Red wasn't sure how to take any of this. He recalled that he was in a dream within a dream within a dream, and so on. Even if they flat out admit that this was no different, he wasn't really sure whether to take any of the current happenings as fact. The ghosts observed Red. They were not trying to convince him in any way. Red shook his head, feeling that he had no choice but to accept the situation as is.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And just to let you know,” stated Pink, “This is the end of the episode.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Episode 5, Act 1 (Teal Isn't A Color)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"What do you mean by the end of the episode?" asked Red. He gave Pink a wary stare. He knew all too well that it was not long ago that he was running away in circles in the Cafeteria from this very monster that was near him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Awww, no hard feelings, Red. It was all fun and games, ya know? It was your victory, so I should be the pouting one," replied Pink. The Impostor remained seated, motionless while gazing at the dreamer. The rest of them were all that way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And by episode, I mean incident or series of events in your case. The dreams felt real, didn't they? That's because those weren't fantasies, rather, events that happened in other...."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pink looked elsewhere, contemplating whether they should finish that sentence. The apparition decided to remain as vague as possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I guess if this were a work of fiction, view them as," Pink stated with emphasis, "What if scenarios. I was the one that gave you those visions. Even though I'm dead, I still am an Impostor in my heart and used that method as an act of sabotage. Unfortunately, it was my only chance, and you saw through the illusions, or did you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red was not sure what to do as he gazed down at Pink. The spirited monster remained composed. Contrary to what it has said, Red did not sense any malicious intent like how Pink was still alive. Pink shrugged their shoulders and stated neutrally,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Perhaps you will wake up, and one of those scenarios will become a situation that you can't escape. Or maybe it will be something else altogether?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The philosophical one shrugged again and affirmed, "Who knows? It's not out of the realm of possibility."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red narrowed his eyes. He felt that he really did not have time for this, so the young man focused his attention on Teal. Without having a choice, he decided to sit back down, feeling that he was safe, despite being right next to the one whose last living act was to murder and eat him alive. Red tapped the table and decided to get straight to the point,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Can you just tell me who you are? I know there isn't a Teal-colored crewmate aboard. That means that you're either Black, Brown, Purple, or Cyan. There is no point in being anonymous as I will find out your identity as soon as I wake up. So please, reveal yourself."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Teal-colored one gazed at the other apparations. From Red's perspective, it almost seemed as if they were all assessing something. He did not see how him not knowing who the victim was is really that big of a deal unless there was something more to the situation. After coming up with a decision, the ghosts all shook their heads no. Red's head hung, dejected, not knowing what else to do.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're supposed to give me something, but you're all just confusing me even more. Did one of my crewmates die or not? How am I supposed to know that this isn't another...episode, as you put it? What am I to do?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Red," Blue has stated, "as ghosts, we are pretty limited. We know every single mystery behind the killings. However, as declared in the past, you have to figure it out. We can give you hints, but we have to exercise caution to balance things. It has to be an even circumstance between the Crewmates and the Impostors."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red shrugged and shook his head. In the past, there were no issues with just talking things over. He did not get it, and all of this cryptic s*** was bothering him as he yelled, "Out with it already! What the hell is going on?! Come on! A hint, please? Something? Anything?! You should know how these discussions go by now! And since I probably am in my bunker in the real world, I'm going to assume, if there was a murder, it happened during my sleep!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ghosts looked at each other again. Red crossed his arms as he glared. This was really trying his patience, and the further that this drew, the more frustrated he became. Blue finally nodded, then spoke, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Instead of doing what we did before, which was go over the case, we are going to show you a video presentation. Then you can attempt to piece together what happened. As we said, there is only so much that we can do and give. We apologize in advance for the inconveniences and irritations, but this is the maximum of our capabilities."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that statement, a projection was shown on top of the table. Red's attention was instantly directed there as he gazed straight ahead in awe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><strong>By:</strong> White, Blue, </span>
  <span>Pink</span>
  <span>, and ??</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Characters</b>
  <span>: Teal1, Teal2, Teal3, Teal4, and Teal5</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <b>Location</b>
  <span>: The Skeld</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <b>Scene 5: Overview</b>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>One of the Teals had died in the Cafeteria. Like the previous two victims, they were chopped in half with their lower torso remaining and the bone sticking out. The body was found directly on top of the meeting table. Apparently, the culprit had no issues with committing the murder in such a conspicuous location. It almost screamed:</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Here is the next victim, served on a platter and out in the open for display. Come catch me if you can!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the crime being performed so boldly, there were no witnesses. The person that reported the body was Teal2. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Around the time of the murder, Teal2 was in Admin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Teal1 was in their bunker, sleeping. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Teal3 was in the hallway between O2 and Shields. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Teal4 was in the Cafeteria.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Teal5 was between Storage and O2.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Scene 5," Red has muttered as he weighed the information that was given to him. The others watched in silence. The living one was beginning to feel less annoyed as the situation started to make a little sense. Based on that display alone, he would have to figure out who was who. Red could already surmise that he was Teal1 as it was mentioned that they were asleep in their bunker. A chill suddenly went down the young man's skin as he began to have many of the same disturbances. It wasn't finding out who the culprit that was the issue. Instead, the truth of the situation tended to be far more foreboding as he took a deep breath and nodded. So far, he leaned on Teal4 being Black since she always stayed in the Cafeteria by herself and on watch duty. Red also noted that the victim was killed in that same location. Red's eyes widened as he thought,</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Was Black the one that was killed?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He looked directly at Teal. The apparition gazed back, not responding.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No, it's too soon to deduce that,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Red pondered as he asked,</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, chronologically, was scene 5 the last event?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The others looked at each other for a moment, then shook their heads yes. Red sighed in relief as he didn't have to worry about anything else after the body being reported. He signaled for the ghosts to continue with their video presentation.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <b>Scene 3</b>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Teal5 gazed down at their Crewmate, Teal4. The Crewmate was currently seated at one of the tables in the Cafeteria. With them were stacks of papers. Based on the contents, the observer knew all too well what these documents contained. They were the Impostor Files. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Still at it again, I see," muttered the standing one. The questioner didn't want to show it, but they became a little irritated with Teal4's actions. Even if it were just the beginning of the day, Teal5 wanted everyone to stay on task as this was the final push. It was bad enough that Teal1 was oversleeping, and knocking on the door wouldn't wake them up, but now Teal4 remained here, fixated on a stack of reports. The reading crewmate already knew what those things were by experience, so the disgruntled one only viewed this leisure activity as a massive waste of time.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry," replied the reader, "I know that I probably should get to work, but there are some things that I really need to confirm. I promise you that I will complete all of my assignments before lights out. Please, just give me a moment first."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Teal5 crossed their arms. Their focus remained fixed as they replied in a firm tone, "If you feel that it is so important, then fine, go ahead, but I will hold you </span>
</p><p>
  <span>accountable if you slack off." </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The dissatisfied one walked south and headed towards the Storage Area. The Crewmate decided to give Teal4 an hour at most, and if they still didn't get to work, they would have another talk with them. Teal5 did not like taking these precautions, but everyone needed to finish their duties and stay on course.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you doing?" asked another crewmate as the determined one stopped in their tracks. The questioned individual turned to the questioner. It was Teal2 standing in front of Admin with their arms crossed. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Excuse me?" asked the halted Crewmate. The newcomer inquired again, "What are you doing?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"What the f*** are you talking about?" replied Teal5, "I am on my way to Storage to do more tasks! What else would I be up to?! This is our last official day, yeah? Quit asking stupid questions, get to work, and quit being paranoid all of the f***ing time. Nobody is out to get you, okay? So chill the f*** out. It's already hard enough with your best friend, Teal1, being asleep in his bunker. And, now Teal4 is busy reading the files that you so," Teal5 gave an air quote, "conveniently supplied us with. Honestly, if you weren't here, we would have been done days ago. The only thing that you ever contribute is over-complication, paranoia, and skepticism."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ignoring what was said, the skeptic has declared with their arms crossed, "You have been going to and from Storage a lot lately. It hasn't just been today, but ever since Teal1's accident. Are you hiding something else from us besides the fact that you're a hacker?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was a heavy silence between the two. Teal5 balled their fist in a fury. If it weren't for the fact that they were so close to finishing, the questioned one would have punched the interrogator in the face by now. Instead, the fumed individual turned away and continued onto their destination. From the corner of their eye, Teal5 noticed that the detective wannabe was following them. It did not stop the dedicated one from arriving at the Storage Room. There was an awkward silence as the worker completed one task after another. Simultaneously, the wary one hovered over them, standing there, watching, observing, like a shadow. They remained like that for at least thirty minutes. None of them exchanged words, and the observer was not hiding that they were chaperoning their Crewmate. It was almost as if Teal2 wanted Teal5 to remain aware that they were being watched. Scrutinized. After a little bit more time passed, The detective left the area without a word. Rather than head back where they came from, the Administration Room, the cautious one, headed towards the Engine Area. Teal5 gazed at their Crewmate for a moment and guessed that Teal2 headed for the Security Room instead. They probably were going to watch the cameras to further keep an eye on them. The examined one balled their fists again and punched one of the boxes. The hit was so hard that they struck right through the object. Their frustration immediately turned into shock as Teal5 noticed something in front of them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The scene ended. Red's eyes widened, “W...Wait. What did Teal5 notice?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He gazed at the ghosts. They were silent. The panicked one shook his head quickly, "No, no, no, no, no! You can't do that! What did Teal5 see?! You gotta tell me! Come on!"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Still, no word was muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, s***," grumbled Red as he crossed his arms. From his standpoint, either it was something significant, or he was overthinking. He glanced at Pink for a moment and realized that what was displayed just now could have been false information to throw him off. Pink gave Red a slow nod as they giggled softly. Red did not like that one bit, but there was nothing that he could do. Instead, he felt that it was best to just deduce who was who. Based on their personalities, Red figured that he knew the identities of all of the Teals.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Teal1 was himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Teal2 was most likely Black, based on the mannerisms and how they treated Teal5.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Teal4 was probably Cyan. Cyan did mention that they were a scientist that assisted with the experiments. They probably were curious about the remaining contents of the files. There may have been data in the stacks that were overlooked previously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Teal5 was Brown. It was an obvious fit due to the swearing and the managing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Teal3 wasn't mentioned yet. However, there was only one person left, that being Purple.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If Red recalled, Teal3, or Purple, was in the hallway the whole time that connected to Shields and Weapons. So far, this fact alone was the most suspicious as there were no tasks in that location. It would make more sense if Purple were in the Cafeteria doing the usual chef thing, but they didn't. Also, a vent was connected from that very spot to the Cafeteria, in which the victim was murdered. Still, nothing was conclusive to Red just yet. As far as he knew, one of the Teals died, and their number wasn't revealed. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He glimpsed at the anonymous ghost for a moment. If Red were going based off on locations alone, the victim probably was Cyan. Even if he wasn't entirely sure who did it, the prospect of Cyan being the murdered one broke his heart. That Crewmate worked together with Red from the very beginning. He would hate to imagine that Cyan, one of the most trusted ones, was killed by one of those things. As the gaps were beginning to fill, so was the pain of unveiling the truth. Regardless, he had to fill in the last two scenes. Red gave a gesture signaling for them to continue.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <b>Scene 1</b>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright folks," stated Teal5, "It seems like Teal1 isn't waking up anytime soon. No biggie, as he had been a hustler during this entire voyage. This is the last push, so let's give it our all."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The others nodded in approval as they separated from the meeting table. Teal5 headed straight for the Storage Room. If the memory was right, there was a safety issue regarding the boxes falling on Teal1. Deciding that it was best to rectify the problem, the cautious one chose to sort out the objects and trash what wasn't needed. The worker went through box after box. Most of it was junk that served no purpose—empty soda bottles here, wrappers there. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What a mess</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the hard worker thought to themself as they shook their head in shame and emptied the chute with just one tug. Afterward, Teal5 reached for a nearby vial. This caused the determined one to remember that there was some confusion earlier. The Crewmate gathered the other vials and dumped them in the chute to prevent anyone else from appearing as a different color in the future. It wasn't like these dyes were needed anyhow, and they were all the same color. Teal5 emptied the trash, left the Storage Area, and backtracked towards the Cafeteria. There was Teal4, seated. Based on their impression, the stationary one seemed to have something weighing them. Rather than pry, Teal5 headed right back to Storage, deciding that it would best to check in on the Crewmate every now and then.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay," muttered Red, "What was the point of that? All Brown did was clean up the Storage Area. How does that serve as a clue to finding out who the killer is?" </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Red scoffed as he shook his head in shame. There was one thing that stood out to Red. It was the fact that Brown decided to take the time to trash the dyes. Even if he was trying to prevent anyone else from appearing as a different color, it did not serve a purpose. Everyone knows each other based on personality alone. Then again, perhaps it wasn't really that big of a deal. Red shrugged his shoulders. As expected, the ghosts did not respond to him, except for one.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you sure that you want to overlook this?" murmured Pink. The spirited Impostor snickered softly at Red and continued, "Are you sure that Teal5's cleaning of the Storage area was not of significance?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Impostor chuckled again. Red was uncertain where Pink was trying to go with this. He decided to keep a mental note of Scene 1 as he signaled for the others to continue with the movie. He has noticed that these occurrences seem to revolve around Brown. However, Red still did not understand why that Crewmate was given so much attention. From his perspective, Brown was really the only one that did most of the work. They were keeping everyone on task, making things more manageable, and remained focused. If anything, Brown was given a lot of flack for being the one consistent person. Red shook his head in shame and signaled for the others to play the final scene.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <b>Scene 4: Right Before The Murder</b>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Despite their frustrations, Teal5 continued with their hard work. As expected, they were currently in the Storage Room. The area appeared a lot more organized and less cluttered compared to weeks ago. Teal5 wasn't sure if they should be furious that nobody has cleaned it up until now or give the crew a pass. Also, the diligent worker was still being hounded by Teal2. Just like earlier, the uninvited guest was watching the work being done. The visitor had their arms crossed and gazed down at Teal5, who was kneeling and scrubbing the floor. No words were exchanged. It was an awkward silence. Things became further discomforting when Teal2 stood directly at the cleaner's side, knelt down towards them, and stared closely at their face as they scrubbed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Despite what was going on, the examined one kept wiping away as Teal2 viewed from far too close for comfort. They remained as is. Teal5 working while Teal2 analyzed wholly. As if looking for some type of opening. Some kind of evidence. Some sort of suspicious behavior. After several minutes. The watcher walked away from the suspected one and headed towards the direction of the Administration Room. Appearing relieved, and once Teal2 was out of sight, Teal5 left the Storage Room, feeling that enough has already been done. The Crewmate went straight to Shields, then proceeded north at the hallway that connected to O2. The staff witnessed a particular sight. In front of them was Teal3, leaning against the wall while looking down. Something appeared off as Teal5 approached the despondent one.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, bud. Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Teal3 shook their head no, "I'm worthless, man. I really do want to be of use to the crew, but the only thing that I'm good at is working the grills in the Cafeteria. Even in the meetings, I don't usually contribute anything useful. Three people have died, and somehow a useless person like me is still standing."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Teal5 pat their Crewmate on the back, "It's okay. It's okay."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I'm sorry for bringing this up to you," stated the depressed one, "and on days like this. It is just that I had time to reflect on everything that happened, ya know?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The two were silent for a moment. Between what transpired in the Storage Room with Teal2 and having this conversation with Teal3, it was a breath of fresh air to finally relax. It affirmed to them that despite everything that went on, they were doing the right thing.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How about this? Let's head over to O2, and I can guide you through some easy tasks. Regardless of how you feel about yourself, you have been a valued crewmate, Teal3."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The seemingly discouraged one gazed at the hopeful one and nodded. A moment later, Teal5 assisted Teal3 with the basics of task operations. Once they felt comfortable enough, Teal5 left Teal3 to their devices and began to backtrack the way they came.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Red had his arms crossed as he stated, “And this was right before the murder?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The others nodded in approval. "Well, s***," muttered Red, "Purple was confirmed to be in O2 at the time, Black went to Admin, and Cyan was probably still in the Cafeteria. Brown backtracked towards Storage, and that's that."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The ghosts did not reply. Red recalled the first scene that he regarded. There was a lone corpse on one of the tables in the Cafeteria. Teal2 was the one that discovered the body, and Red remembered that the identity of Teal2 had to be Black, thus, confirming that she had to be alive.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>From where Black was located, I would guess that she came from Admin. Probably to check to see how Cyan was doing or something. Was Cyan still in the Cafeteria during the time of the murder? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The spirits did not respond as they allowed Red to figure it out himself.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Or maybe Cyan is the victim, after all. Assuming that I don't get any more information past this time frame, it may be safe to deduce that Cyan was murdered.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Red shuddered after accepting this as a possible truth. As expected, the ghosts did not confirm nor deny his deductions.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Purple was in O2, Black was in Admin, and Brown backtracked towards the Storage Room. There are only two suspects. With what I have, it could have only been Black or Purple. But would Black really kill Cyan like that? That is way too cold-hearted, even for her, but still. I can't just rule it out.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Red chuckled softly as he realized that he was starting to sound like Black with deducing the culprit. In the past, he would have flat out denied the fact that she did it, but now it was probable. Red knew that there was no going back to how things were before all of these happenings. He couldn't be the same naive person that he was before the killings started. His train of thought was interrupted as one of the ghosts had spoken.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“There is more," they stated. Red looked at the speaker. It was Teal, the victim in this case. The victim who, for whatever reason, remained anonymous even to this point.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“There is one more scene, Red."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Red's eyes widened. Without his consent, the scene played out,</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>**</span>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Distortion ??</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>***</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That was it. Red's mouth dropped as he observed the garbled message that was given to him. He did not know how to take it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don't overthink it," stated one of the ghosts, "It will make sense later on, and it will be logged into your subconscious, so hold onto it."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The talker was White this time. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“With that, Red,” they stated, “We bid you farewell.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Pink waved at Red, "Bye-bye! See you in your dreams, and good luck! Not!"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Wait!" yelled Red, "I'm still not ready yet! There have to be more clues! Come on! Don't do this to me!"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Red punched the desk. This did not stop the dream from fading to darkness as even his voice echoed. There was nothing else. Randall had no choice but to allow everything to dissipate. But still, the last thing that he was given was another cryptic message that he did not fully comprehend. It appeared as one big confusing mess.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Randall woke up. The alarm blared, signifying that an emergency meeting was called. This was it, and Randall knew it. He could not sleep through this one this time. Randal comprehended that once he got out of bed, put on his Red suit, and stepped out onto the deck, there would be no turning back as the vision of the corpse of Teal was lodged into his brain. The young man took a deep breath. Randall accepted that he would be greeted to the sight of the next victim on the other side. He still was not entirely sure who it was as his heart pounded. Randall looked down. He heard the alarm sound again. It probably was Black on the other end, trying to get him out.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This isn't a dream this time,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>he thought to himself, </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>this is happening in real-time. There are no resets. There are no second chances. This isn't an alternate timeline. There is only this moment.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After weighing everything, Randall got up and quickly got himself washed. There was no time to waste as he put on his Red suit and slowly turned the knob of his door. A flashing light almost blinded him as he covered his face. Red stepped into the brightness as the door closed behind him. Once his eyes adjusted, the remaining Crewmates were already seated at the table.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sure that you are aware by now," stated one of them bluntly. It was Black, with her arms crossed. Red observed the survivors before he sat down as he did a mental count since he did not like cliffhangers.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Black, Purple, and Cyan are accounted for. Wait, Cyan?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes protruded underneath that suit as he was not expecting that as he gazed at the Crewmate in question. Cyan appeared to be alive and functional. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Then that would leave,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Red looked on top of the table. He was greeted by the sight of Brown's lower torso with the bone sticking out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Episode 5, Act 2 (The Final Impostor's Identity)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>**Uploaded early so I won't have to do it this weekend :)**</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Red still could not believe what he witnessed as he observed the others. From his understanding, the crew was oblivious to the situation. He wasn't confident if he should reveal what was learned in the dream. It may have been best to keep that to himself for the moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What's the matter?” asked Black, “You look as if you saw a ghost?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She crossed her arms and gazed at the mysterious one. Red knew that Black wasn't too far off as it was just minutes ago when he interacted with Pink, Blue, White, and Teal, who Red was going to assume was Brown after all. From that standpoint, it made sense to Red why the visions revolved around that one particular individual. Brown was explaining in various details the circumstances behind their own death. Red looked down and thought,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How tragic.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shook his head in shame.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Brown really tried to look out for us, and in the end, it cost them their life.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Black," stated Cyan with a head shake, "There is a body right in front of us on display. I'm sure that you noticed it by now since you had been starring at it for the past thirty minutes. Of course, Red would be caught by surprise."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black did not remove eye contact from Red. Underneath the suit, her expression was suspicious. Not in the sense of guessing that he had anything to do with the crime, relatively, she speculated that the crewmate may be hiding something. Red gazed at Purple, the silent one. The crewmate had their head low, staring at their former friend's corpse in shock. Purple displayed trauma in its purest form as their body twitched visibly, unable to process what was right in front of them. A few seconds later, the corpse, along with the suit, began to disintegrate on the spot until nothing was left, not even a blotch of blood.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess that is for the best," stated Black, "As for Red, I may have some idea what you're up to, especially since I have cooperated with you for a while. I will trust your discernment and allow things to proceed as expected. If at any point you feel the need to share some knowledge, then go ahead."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red nodded at her while the other crewmates seemed confused since Red was in his bunker the whole day. Based off of logic alone, Red shouldn't have anything to impart. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black stood up and paced back and forth in silence. After a few seconds, she muttered,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmmm.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The real-life Impostor starred at Brown's bunker door. She then turned around and gazed at the rest of them while murmuring,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose that is a possibility. If that is what happened, then it would explain everything, but..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The others did not seem to understand where she was getting at. Red shrugged his shoulders, wondering if there was some mystery behind the door. From his point of view, there were no strange markings on it or anything. It looked ordinary.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The confused one began to wonder if his crewmate was finding hints and evidence where they could not possibly exist. He did recall Brown saying that Black was an overly paranoid person. Black turned to the other three and stated,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Before we get started, I just wanted to inform you all that there are fewer of us compared to the beginning. This case will be a lot more challenging as a result. I mean, for the most part, we can only rely on each others' testimonies with no other person to prove it as truth."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop," muttered Purple, "There isn't a culprit among us! I promise! I know that it sounds insane, but please! Let's just dismiss this meeting, finish the little bit of work that we have left, and wait for HQ to pick us up! It will all work out in the end! Just have faith!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black, in one swift motion, rushed at Purple's side without a word. She stared directly at their face from the side, arms crossed behind her back as she leaned forward at the pleader. Purple went silent as Black spoke,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you really suggesting that we pretend like nothing happened just now? Are you honestly going to deny that, despite EVERYTHING that occurred, there is nothing to be suspicious about?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her voice sounded somewhat soothing with a mixture of a dark undertone. From Red's perspective, something seemed different about Black, and he wasn't sure of what. She was too close to the crewmate that she addressed, staring at them at point-blank range. Purple did not even glance over at the talker. The cross-examined individual kept starring forward while trembling and whimpering. It almost made Black appear as a bully. Red and Cyan did not attempt to separate the two. The next action that Black took shocked them as she has stated,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I'm sorry, Purple.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was an apology, “But we have to do this, especially now. With how the events played out, any of us could be the culprit as none of us don't have an alibi since we were split up the whole time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red understood where she was coming from. Even he couldn't be ruled out as innocent as he could have just stepped out of his room, committed the deed, and gone back inside like nothing happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I see," stated Red, "I hate to put it this way, but in a way, this a mystery that is unsolvable through conventional means."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cyan sighed and shook their head while Purple looked away. Black gazed at Red and gave a slow nod as she returned back to her seat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"At best," continued Red, "whatever it is that we come up with would be a theory of what happened rather than anything concrete." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All eyes were on him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red knew that this wasn't wholly true, as he had that dream, knew who did what, and narrowed down who it couldn't have been based on this information alone. Red took a stand as he walked away from them. The others could only observe. Their former leader, even though there wasn't one that was assigned, was Brown. Since their passing, the remaining ones had no choice but to step up when necessary.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red laughed incredulously, not wanting to take this next action. It was a jump in the dark, and it defied logic and reasoning. He felt that it was most beneficial to just get it out of the way and tell them about the dream.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he stood there, he explained to the crew about the five Teals. He received various stunned reactions from the remaining staff. They were all very aware that this was the first time Red stepped foot outside of his room. Many of them gazed at each other in disbelief. This was Red's talent put into action of being able to converse with the deceased. Once he finished speaking, he sat back down. To his surprise, Black stood up and walked away with no explanations. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was she crept out? Skeptical? Dumbfounded? Experiencing an existential crisis? Nobody knew. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She headed in the direction of the Storage Area. The crew kept still and tense as the minutes ticked away. It felt like hell itself, as the silence was proving to be more stressful than the situation. None of them knew what Black was up to or if she would even return. The crew had never left the meeting table in the middle of a discussion in the past. Even though only thirty minutes had passed, it felt a lot longer as Black had finally returned, empty-handed. The next thing that she said blew their minds away as she has stated,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was Brown.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red looked back and forth at the others, waiting for them to interject or make sense of the three words. He waited and waited and waited until he realized that the others were doing the exact same thing. His mind raced.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was Brown?! What do you mean? It was Brown that died just moments ago?! It was Brown that created the hacking device?! It was Brown that made some deadly disease?! Brown started World War Ten?! What did Brown do?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no context to what Black said. It simply was,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was Brown.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black sat back down in her seat. She clasped her hands together and stated,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, then. I guess that's that. We can all go back to doing tasks now. My role is over. All of the culprits have been taken care of. You're all in the clear. Meeting dismissed. I apologize, Purple, but you were right. There aren't any more killers among us. If you can find it in your heart to forgive my error in judgment, then go ahead. I was," she looked down in shame and then muttered, "Wrong."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other three gazed at each other in disbelief. Black had her head low with no hint of taking back what was said. This did not seem to be a joke, either. The crewmate just remained there, motionless. She was like a battery-powered device that ran out of juice; no more life, oomph, and motivation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no, no!" muttered Red, "Brown was the victim in this case! How can that even be remotely possible?! You're saying that Brown came here, to the Cafeteria, then died or something?! But that's..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly what happened," finished Black. She completed Red's sentence for him, even if it wasn't what he would say. The others looked at each other again. From their standpoint, it could not end like this, even if they were reluctant before. It just couldn't, and it did not sit well with the three.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No," stammered Cyan, "There has to be more to it. Even if I don't want to suspect that any of us could have done it, it just seems too easy. This contradicts what you said earlier! You said that this case was going to be a lot more challenging, and now you're dismissing it all just like that!?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black did not look up from the table and gave a single shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry. As much as I hate to admit it, I make mistakes too. Also, how is it not plausible? Brown, as an Impostor, committed suicide. End of story." Black's gaze did not move,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Think about it, Cyan. Brown was in the same room as you around the time when White was murdered. You said that for a moment; you broke eye contact with them. Now keep in mind that prior, Brown was the one that told Red to talk with White while White was in the Security Room. Brown knew that Red was with White at the time, and the purpose of luring Red there was to frame him."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The others were taken in by Black's story as it seemed plausible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Did Black suspect Brown from back then? </span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red thought to himself as he observed the one that he cooperated with,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That appeared credible as she was on Brown's case ever since White died. If Brown were really the culprit, and if it really was a suicide, then perhaps the on-the-table display was an act of surrender. Brown forfeited.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red shook his head in shame as a tear went down his eye underneath the suit,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But this is Brown we are talking about. Even though we both had some issues in the past, Brown was task-oriented and focused. They did everything they could to look out for us and keep us safe! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red balled his fists and pounded the desk a few times, causing the others to give their attention to him for a second as he thought,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Brown saved my life from Pink, for Christ's sake! I just can't believe that they were really one of those things! Afterward, their identity as a hacker was exposed, and if they really were one of those monsters, why make a hacking device in the first place?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was probably because this is the method in which the creatures sabotage. Also, it was used as an attempt to gain you and Purple's trust. If they allowed Pink to kill you, then we found the device on Brown later, confirming that your death could have been averted, then we would have thrown them out into space."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black has stated as if reading Red's mind, "We don't even know if they really were a hacker in the outside world. For all we know, Brown may have never even seen the earth and was activated as a crewmember recently."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red looked at Black in shock, wondering if this woman had some type of psychic connection with him, or if she really were that perceptive as she continued to speak,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, the truth was that ever since White's death, I suspected that it has them all along. I wasn't really impressed with their ability to create a hacking device. Instead, as soon as I retrieved it from their suit, it pretty much one hundred percent confirmed that it had to be them. I would guess that Brown purposefully kept it with them after saving Red so that someone could find it and force us to have that discussion. Otherwise, they would have left it in their bunker."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black shook her head and gazed up at Red briefly. She then continued to stare back down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"As for why they thought it was a good idea to go that route? It may have been to cover their tracks with the excuse that it was all an accident, although Brown knew what they were doing. Perhaps I'm overthinking again.  Regardless, Brown used the hacker persona to build trust with the rest of us and to discredit the happenings."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room got silently cold as the others gazed at each other. The listening three weighed what the speaker imparted. Just like earlier, there were no arguments and disagreements. Red guessed that it may have been because, except for Black, the others were quiet and introverted during meetings. The debatings mainly were Black, Brown, and White's battlefield, but this was left with the latter two being gone. It really was almost as if it was all pointing at Brown being the final Impostor all along.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know," stated Cyan, "Now that you mention it, it makes sense. Brown was acting weird when they were with me in the Medbay. Their head kept shifting back and forth while I was doing tasks as if they were watching and waiting to see if I was paying attention. I thought that Brown was just making sure that I remained focused on my work. It annoyed me at first, but once I took my eyes off them for a couple of minutes, I thought I heard a sound coming from their direction. Brown was over by the vent."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red scoffed while Purple shook their head in shame. Black had her arms crossed, not shaken. She finally lifted her head, but she stared off into space as she stated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is one other suspicious person among us that is here sitting at this table right now, and that person is Purple. They have been covering up for Brown. I highly doubt that Purple was the one that broke the scanning machine in the Medbay. It had to be Brown or someone else. When I was out on the deck the night prior, I checked the Administration Office's logs. I truly was the only crewmember on station while everyone else was in their bunkers."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red and Cyan gazed at Purple, not wanting to believe this. The talked-about crewmate looked away to the side and was not attempting to stop what was being said as Black kept going.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“During the time frame in which I was out, the machine was intact. The only person that would have had a motive to destroy the device was Brown. They probably did it earlier that morning, then reported it as being damaged later on. Three days later, after I found the hacking device off of Brown, they were already under heat, so Purple took some of the blame to cool things down."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cyan and Red both sighed in disdain, really not wanting to believe that their chef did this, but just like Brown, everything pointed at this being the god honest truth too. It did not help that the crewmate remained silent and despondent. There was no defense whatsoever—just guilt and shame. Black kept staring off into the void. Despite looking elsewhere, somehow, her attention was wholly focused on the conversation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Also, Red, in your vision, you said that Brown went towards the Storage Room. Keep in mind that I was monitoring the security cameras and logs. There never was a mention of Brown ever returning to the Storage Room. Purple had briefly left O2 at that time. Still, I did find it odd that the logs have stated that Brown left the Cafeteria, and yet, their body is right here, and Cyan was in the Medbay area."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a brief pause as Black shook her head and sighed. It caused the crew to feel awkward. They did not know what the inconsistency in the logs meant, as well as how to take Black's silence. In the past, silence wouldn't be so ominous as Black only shared the bad news. This time, the quietness was getting to them as they trembled underneath their suits. Fortunately for them, it was short-lived. Red guessed that either Black did not know what else to think or was not sure whether she should impart this next info as she stated,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I'm sorry, Red, but this is as far as my deductive reasoning can get me. Either this is how things have played out, it was a suicide, and we have nothing to worry about, or the culprit had just committed the perfect crime; I was wrong, and we failed in the end."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what?!" stammered Red, "What do you mean by that?! Brown committed suicide?! Right?! Brown was one of those things?! Am I right?! That's where you were leading us off to?! Correct?! It was Brown this entire time! We are entirely safe! What else could there be?! Please don't let it end like this, Black!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black shook her head as she crossed her arms and gazed off again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will say this," she muttered. There was a hint of sadness and insecurity in her tone of voice. That combination was something that Red did not ever expect to pick up on, especially from this one. It was almost as if Black was at the end of her rope. As if there was a chance that it may not have really been suicide, and she had no idea where else to go from there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No, no, no, no, no,</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red thought to himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That can't be the case. There has to be some evidence around if it really were a murder!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Regardless, Red allowed her to finish her deductive reasoning. Not liking this one bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Based on everything that has happened, the central question to ask is how did Brown's body go from O2  to Cafeteria? That did not show up on the logs, but there was a document of them leaving that area to god knows where."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The others remained attentive to Black.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It's because the body never made it back to Storage. After Brown had their talk with Purple, instead of backtracking completely to that place, they jumped into the vent that was in the hallway. Purple probably caught them in the act, thus confirming to Purple that Brown was the culprit all along. The very same person that they defended and looked out for to the very end was the one killing us off."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red's eyes widened. Slowly, Cyan and Red's head turned back to Purple. Purple could not look at them. Red would guess that Purple was probably overwhelmed with shame.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god," breathed Cyan. It was all that could be said. Purple may have been like this because they felt the heaviest weight of betrayal in their heart. This whole time, Purple may have defended, protected, and took the fall for a murderer. Red suddenly felt even chillier. Still, Purple was not attempting to rebuke the testimony. They were probably too debilitated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Episode 5, Act 3 (From Start To Finish)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"Maybe those things really can't hack by will," stated Black, "Perhaps the tablets were given to them, and the Impostor files don't apply to these batch of fiends? Keep in mind that the original incident happened fifty years ago, so maybe in the future, the government decided to tone down how powerful the Impostors were?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The others looked at each other for a moment. Purple kept their head low, weeping quietly. Seeing what he assumed was a grown man, brought to tears like this, a grown man from prison nonetheless, rubbed Red the wrong way. But still, they all had to continue. Suddenly, a video was displayed all over the monitors in the Cafeteria as the lights dimmed. Purple was put in the spotlight. The monitors highlighted Purple's crying while the audio and video looped again and again. Red shook his head in shame as the audio would either go high in pitch or low. It was almost as if someone was making a joke or ridiculing the situation. Red did not find this amusing one bit as he observed the others. They appeared oblivious, which made the experiencer wonder if the ghosts were messing with him again. This may have been Red's experience alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This is what happened from the very beginning," stated Black, "Brown took the day off to create that hacking device." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, the screens turned into an animation that looked to be in comic book format. The title of the presentation was: Among Us, The Fan Comic. The page flipped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Page 1</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What Red observed was a drawing of Brown while they were in their bunker. In the various panels, the crewmate was using their technical skills to create a device. There were different special effects, such as Zap, Whirl, and Zoom! All Red could do was observe while Black kept speaking.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Their story fell to pieces because if they really were a hacker of justice, why make a tablet that could potentially make things much more difficult for us?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black shook her head in shame. Her gaze shifted over to Brown's door. Red was not sure why she kept looking there. There still wasn't anything peculiar about it, and Brown was dead. He gazed closely at the spot, stood up, and approached the door as Black resumed her train of thought. Red was not bothered by the paranormal events. The screens panned to a different page. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Page 2</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The various scenes showed Brown sweating bullets and shaking outside of their suit while explaining their story to the crew. Many thought bubbles filled the listeners' heads in the other panels: That explains everything, Wow, and, What a bulls*** story, you're the Impostor.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It doesn't make sense," stated Black, "Now bear in mind that Brown was giving Red heat over the deaths before Pink's chase attempt. They attempted to frame him from the very beginning." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Page 3</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There were pictures of Brown in an all-white background presenting themself as a concerned crewmate during the discussions, attempting to find the culprit. Brown possessed a halo over their head and angelic wings on their back while winning in the crowd diplomatically. The pleader stood behind a podium as if they were a preacher in a church that gave a sermon. Another image was shown a second later, which revealed Brown's twisted form with devil horns and a devious grin. Multiple thought bubbles were written in crimson all over the darkened panel. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'm going to kill you all. I'm going to kill you all. I'm going to kill you all. I'm going to kill you all. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Brown then asked Red to have a talk with White in the Security Room. They used that opportunity to bring further suspicion on him by murdering White while they were all in the same locked room together."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Page 4</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Brown sat behind the desk of Navigation while wearing a business suit. They had their hands clasped together and directed Red in a professional managerial style. In the next panel, underneath the outfit, Brown's silhouette grinned deviously as they envisioned setting up Red, then getting everyone to vote him out. The final scene revealed Red's body floating away in outer space. At the same time, Brown observed from the other side of the window, straightened their suit and tie, then cackled at the situation while dollar signs replaced their eyes,</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>CHA-CHING! PAYOUT!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It is no telling what Red's fate would have been if everything went according to Brown's plan. Despite how Red was portrayed as incompetent initially, he became precious in solving the cases and facilitating things later on. Without him, we probably wouldn't have uncovered the truth about Blue's death."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Page 5</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>In the first scene, in the Medbay, when Cyan wasn't looking, Brown took off their glasses, jumped into the vent with a Clank, went to the Security Room with a Whirl, and transformed with a Poof, just like magic. Once the smoke cleared, Brown was presented as an individual that had a big S on their chest while wearing a cape. Above their head was the thought bubble had stated,</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Look up in the sky! It's a bird! No, it's a plane! No, it is I, Super Impostor. I have come to town to save the day!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>In the next display, they grabbed White from behind with both hands, then ripped them in half, just like that, with a Splat. Brown then threw the upper torso at Red, returned whence they came, and sounded the alarms with their tablet. Before Cyan could warn Brown, the so-called hero put on their glasses to disguise themself as a civilian again, and then acted baffled and confused about the situation, along with their crewmate. Brown was portrayed as walking down the hallway with Cyan towards the Security Room, whistling to themself while having their hands clasped behind their back, as if oblivious. In the final panel, Brown pointed at Red in furry while everyone else was confused. Brown's finger was drawn with the effect that the finger appeared to be trembling in a fury while sweat poured down Brown's brow.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black sighed. Red balled his fists, remembering what happened that very day. He also recalled Brown's mannerisms towards him during the meeting. They were thick-headed, refused to acknowledge the Impostor files, and tried to talk everyone out of buying into them. With what Black has been saying, and viewing these incidents from the angle that it was Brown this whole time, it started to make a lot of sense to Red.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That f***ing bastard," Red muttered under his breathe. Cyan sighed and murmured anxiously, "We don't really know what happened, Red. It could have been anyone else or nobody. Don't let..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Cyan could get another word out, Red punched Brown's door. The spot that he struck was the picture of Brown wearing their suit. He couldn't just not let it get him, as Cyan was probably going to say. He was framed twice, the culprit gloated at him after killing White, and Red was chased in the hallway by Pink. Purple still cried. It almost sounded as if they were trying to apologize, but it came out as incoherent garble. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red glanced at the screens again. Instead of the comic being resumed, the grieving Purple was shown along with three letters being repeated. They were </span>
  <em>
    <span>LOL LOL LOL LOL</span>
  </em>
  <span> over and over again. If it were really one of the ghosts, Red knew that it had to be Pink. Pink was making a mockery over the situation and how it was psychologically damaging Purple. New letters formed on the screen. They read,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And this person is supposed to be a hardened inmate from prison?! Give me a break!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could do nothing about it except listen to Black while hoping that he did not get too distracted by the happenings.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black kept speaking. She looked away from the door and starred at Cyan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Purple had already proven that Brown had that device with them when Red was being chased." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Page 6</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There was just one picture that panned on the screen. It was Pink pursuing Red in circles. They were drawn monstrously, and they had a bunch of hearts fluttered around them as if they were lovestruck by their prey and was chasing him out of affection. Red was depicted as visibly sweating while keeping as far away from them as possible in a running pose.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Come here, baby! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>said Pink's speech bubble.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No! Stay away from me, you monster!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>replied Red.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The page turned to a final panel. It was of Pink looking annoyed that her lover would not return the affection.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Such a tsundere</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I doubt that Pink or Blue could hack electronics. When Pink told us that we had to stop the reactor from blowing and check the oxygen levels, Brown took it as a code and sabotaged both areas without being noticed. Then after they left with Purple, they locked Red in with Pink. I recalled seeing their hand to and from their pocket a few times in the past. So it isn't out of the realm of possibility. Brown's heroic act was just that, an act. They used the situation to gain trust and to manipulate Purple into doing their bidding."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Purple shook their head as they kept sniffling on the table. Cyan stood up and was about to pat the broken crewmate on the back for comfort. However, Black gave Cyan an icy cold gaze. Cyan froze in their tracks and sat back down without a word. Red still observed the door furiously. He trembled as he just gazed. Moments ago, he felt sympathetic over what happened to Brown. Black looked at Red while stating,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Basically, Brown used Red's life as a bargaining chip without being direct. When they were with Purple, they feigned care and compassion to buy Purple's trust. Then from that point, Purple felt obligated to defend and take the blame for Brown."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Page 7</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Brown and Purple both stood in front of the door that blocked them from saving Red. Various indecipherable sound bubbles filled the panel as Brown and Purple did not even want to fathom what was happening on the other end. A moment later, an idea light bulb appeared above Brown's head as they grinned deviously in the next panel. Brown then asked for Purple's silence and cooperation after showing them the tablet. Purple was then portrayed as kneeling down and stating,</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes, master. I shall do your bidding. Please just do the righteous thing and save our comrade.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The final screen was a picture of Brown sitting at a throne while wearing a crown. Purple was still at their feet, kneeling, while Brown pulled the strings that controlled the inmate like a puppet. The speech bubble has stated,</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Dance for me, my peon! I am your ruler, and you will do as I say! You are my pawn now!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The monitors turned off, and everything went back to normal from Red's perspective. Red looked down. No matter how angry he felt, it would not change anything. Regardless, if he could just encounter Brown's ghost or something, he would beat them to a bloody pulp.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Brown used those three days to calm you all down and convince you that there was no Impostor. When I found the hacking device during the fourth day, they may have intended to kill once again, but I put a halt to that by exposing them. Over time, the hunger got to them too much, so it was either kill or be killed. I don't know how an Impostor's body functions. If we go by what Pink said, it probably isn't a pleasant experience. I gotta give them credit, though. Brown held their composure despite being a ravenous beast."</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Episode 5, Act 4 (Dubiety)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>An hour of silence was what she allowed them. Black did not want to overwhelm the other three with information and emotion, so she felt that it was best to grant them time to process everything.  The Imposter kept starring into space. On her right, Purple was brooding. To her left was Red. The Crewmate remained silent, probably still feeling very bitter over being the whipping boy this entire time. In front of her, Cyan was contemplating whether to console the crewmembers or not. Black knew that it was best that they did not get too attached to each other, especially now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They need to stay on guard. Only four of us are left, which might turn into three very soon if they buy into my upcoming proposition. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Many more thoughts went into her psyche in circles over and over again. The truth was that she could not do too much despite what she had already spoken.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It could have been a suicide. It had to be a murder. There might be two Browns on deck. One of the Browns killed the other in this room and left the Cafeteria. They are hiding in one of the vents. All I have are speculations. Ghosts don't exist, and Red is just really lucky with his guesses. We are all going to die. We are all going to die. We are all going to die. We are all going to die.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She needed to give them the illusion that she had it together mentally. Otherwise, everything would fall to pieces, just like that. The crew would panic, chaos would ensure, and it would end then and there. She wondered if Red caught onto her real inner turmoil. Black did not want to admit it to herself, but she was getting outwitted. Still, hypothetically, if Red was truthful about his abilities, that is what was needed in this situation. Some type of miracle, divination, and assistance would turn it around. She shook her head, disgraced.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Now is not the time to mull over this. Maybe some type of new discovery will turn up to make sense of everything. We need to continue from where we left off.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Deciding to finally break the silence, Black has stated,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But I could be wrong about Brown. Maybe Brown was just a Crewmate."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Stop," muttered one of them. It was Purple. Their voice was soft, broken, and lifeless. On the other side of the table, Red did not appear surprised. Despite how Purple may feel, Black knew that she could not comply. Nobody had the will to stop her, which worked in her favor since everyone's energy appeared to be zapped. Black's voice seemed so far away from the others as everything was distorted. The situation was far too surreal for them as they groaned and sighed while she spoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The only other person that it could have been besides Brown is Purple themself based on everything that has happened throughout the voyage. If you want to be as safe as possible, your best bet would be to put Purple in the airlock, keep them detained, then complete your tasks."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red held his forehead while Cyan continually shook their head. Purple resumed weeping as they kept banging the desk with their fist.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Allow HQ to pick us up and discern whether Purple is really human or not. Perhaps Purple transformed, killed Brown, retrieved the body, transported it to the Cafeteria through the vent, and returned where they came?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black shrugged her shoulder and stated, "It's doubtful since it wasn't mentioned in the logs that they left O2 around the time of the murder, but who knows? Anything could happen. It also could have been Cyan,"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black gazed at the weary Crewmate, "I mean, although Cyan came from the direction of the Medbay, they were not tested with myself and Red on the scanning device. There also was no record of them leaving the Cafeteria in the first place, which is unusual. This could have been a bug, or maybe the sensors malfunctioned." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black continued to stare at Cyan as she has stated, "Cyan's actions point towards being a regular Crewmate this whole time if we were to go by that alone. During the day of Blue's death, Cyan could have transformed and killed White while the lights were off since they were alone with White in the Medbay, But," Black shook her head, "That didn't happen. Also, Cyan cooperated with me in terms of lying about the scanning device being inoperable."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cyan gave a slow nod despite seeming troubled by this discussion. Black glanced at Red and noticed that he muttered as he observed Cyan, "Hmmm?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As if he caught onto the same thing. It was Cyan's somewhat out place gesture to hold onto their innocence. Now that Black reminisced, she did recall Red appearing to be shocked when they noticed the suspected Crewmate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What could that mean?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black pondered to herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What interrupted her deductions was Purple, who stated,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Brown jumped into the vent."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their voice was soft and broken still. "I...I wanted to ask them for further guidance about my tasks in O2, so I left that room and attempted to retrieve Brown. That's when I saw it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An hour ago, Brown and Purple conversed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Just take it easy, buddy," stated Brown. The Crewmate had their hand on Purple's shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Even if you don't get it right, it is the thought that counts. Now I'm going to head on back over to Storage. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Purple nodded at Brown. Despite being attentive to Brown's directions, Purple still wasn't entirely sure if all he really had to do was drag six leaves to clean the filter. The tasked Crewmate was convinced that there had to be more to it as they left the area and headed for Storage. Fortunately for Purple, Brown did not run off too far as the Crewmate stood in front of the wall that intersected the Shields area. This seemed odd to Purple. Wanting to check if their Crewmate was okay, Purple walked over to Brown. That was when it happened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brown turned around to Purple and just stared at them. Something seemed off, and Purple could not stop shaking from underneath their suit. The Crewmate's heart pounded against their chest as they just stood there. Brown's arms were arched as they starred at Purple in silent malice. If Purple needed to run, it shouldn't be too terribly difficult as they were some distance away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait, Brown is a trusted crewmate. There is no reason to...</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Purple," stated Brown. Their voice was distorted, and it sounded similar to Pink when they confessed their crime. It took a moment for Purple to process what just happened. The word echoed in their mind as all they could do was stare forward. The thoughts of cooperating with Brown, the encouragements, and random interactions zoomed through their mind until it finally hit them. They were all lies, and the person that Purple defended was the one that killed them off one by one. Purple sunk down to their knees as their spirit broke while feeling the full weight of everything they did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thank you, friend," stated Brown. The tone of the voice remained the same. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You have been by my side since the very beginning. You were a fantastic sidekick. However, your role has come to an end. As a token of my gratitude, I will spare you. It was fun, my good pal."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brown turned around, opened the vent, and jumped through despite there being so much steam pouring out. The vent door closed behind them, leaving the devastated Purple to lament and reflect on their actions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence. After telling everyone what they saw, Purple could not even look them in the eye anymore. Black's insensitivity was what ended the moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And instead of reporting this, you went back to O2," she sighed and continued, "Well, I guess that matches the log at least. I'm guessing that you probably were too devastated after finding out that your Crewmate and best friend betrayed and used you the whole time. So you were probably crying in a corner somewhere."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you want to put me in the airlock," stammered Purple, not wanting to be in their presence anymore, "Go ahead. I...I...If you want to eject me into space, then that is perfectly fine too."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At that point, Red realized that Purple might as well be dead. Despite being living and breathing, there was no more life in that one. Not only did Purple get betrayed by Brown, but they also acted as a saboteur, even if it mostly was unknowingly. Red knew that if he did the same, he couldn't live with himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Is that really okay?" stated Cyan. Purple nodded, "Please. This meeting proved that I was not only completely worthless in the end, but I had been a detriment. Take a vote, then isolate me. You will be safe, then."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten minutes later, Purple was escorted and taken into the airlock. The remaining three observed the broken Crewmate. Red felt really bad, but they all agreed to it in the end as a safety precaution. None of them intended on pressing the button to eject their Crewmate, as that would be murder. They decided that even if Purple was not one of those things, it would be best to turn them into the authorities for their crimes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This isn't right,” stated Red. Black scoffed,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We aren't going to kill them. We are only doing this to cover ourselves. We have done enough for the day. All that is left is to finish the very little that we have left, then HQ can pick us up tomorrow if we are lucky."</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <span>Black knew that the safest option would be is to throw Cyan in there as well. The only two confirmed to be human were herself and Red, but she decided not to bring it up and act independently. Black knew that if she expressed her suspicions about Cyan, that would completely shatter whatever little cooperation they had left. Also, she was not sure where Red stood or how much he had figured. Black sighed, looked at the remaining two, and mentally acknowledged that this is what she had to work with. Also, nobody was in immediate danger as they had three days.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other two nodded at Black. The crewmembers left the area and backtracked to the Cafeteria. It was so empty inside of the deck. They started out at eight potent, but now there are only three left. It was really creepy to Red, but he felt that the worst was out of the way. Regardless of the situation being resolved like this, Red still could not shake the feeling that everything has not been investigated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Was it really a suicide? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red shook his head and retired to his bunker for the night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The young man witnessed a strange vision in his sleep. It kept flickering over and over again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What is that? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Randall thought as all he could do was stare. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Is that the...image from before?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Based on memory, the symbols appeared like this before.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And now it is like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The noise certainly has cleared up from the dreamer's perspective, but it still was too distorted for him to understand. A piercing feeling suddenly struck the confused man. Randall woke up and looked at the clock. It was the middle of the night, being 2:00 AM. Everything felt strange as Randall observed his surroundings. There was fog in his room, and it felt chilly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Am I still asleep? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pondered to himself. He remembered the ghosts explaining that there weren't going to be any more dream sequences. Suddenly, a startling realization hit him as he was very well aware that the dreams only happened after someone died.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no...</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With haste, Randall put on his suit and left his bunker. What he noticed next to his door was unexpected. There was Black, waiting for him, in this foggy and dark station.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Red,” she stated, “What are you doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Am I not dreaming? Everything looks so.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>thought Red,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Purple?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Did you come to check up on Purple?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I...I had a bad feeling, so I left my bunker," he muttered in confusion. He wasn't sure what else to say. Black seemed normal as she nodded at Red and looked down as if reluctant to say something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Am I sleeping? Did Black die? This is a dream, right?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red was confused at first why a ghost would be asking that in the middle of a dream as if it weren't glaringly obvious.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Red gazed around him. It remained dark and foggy as if he were in some type of horror setting. He then began to realize that he probably was awake after all. That perhaps this was just his perception. It reminded him that so many people had died throughout this venture. Now this space station was haunted by the spirits of the deceased. Red shook his head in shame. He was grateful that only his perception was altered as there was no telling how Cyan, Black, and Purple would react if they woke up to this. The wind blew against his suit. This was nothing to Red since he knew that none of it could harm him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm checking on Purple," he stated. He felt that it was no point in explaining his perceptional changes and decided to act normal. That statement caused Black to slowly shake her head at him. This confused Red as he asked why he shouldn't check on their prisoner. Black motioned Red to follow her. Against his better judgment, he complied. The two arrived at the airlock. It was entirely empty. Red's eyes widened,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay!” he yelled, “Where the hell is Purple?! Did they escape?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black looked down and shook her head, "Red, Purple is dead. I looked everywhere for the body, but it was nowhere to be found. I checked the logs, and there was nothing. Before you, I was the only person to get on deck at this time, and it was just moments ago."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Black shook her head, "Purple...was ejected."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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